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Orchard Hill #1
Shine a Light
When Ellie Bloom’s life literally goes up in flames after an apartment fire, she slinks back to her sister’s house in the St. Louis suburb she’s avoided since her mom died. Ellie quickly caves to her nephews’ pleas to direct the temple Hanukkah play—her mom’s pride and joy—and by the time she’s lighting the first candle in her menorah, she doubts she’ll ever escape her hometown. And then she spots the cute fireman who rescued her lighting his own menorah in the window next door.
Firefighter Jonah Spellman may have dropped out of seminary, but he still has deep roots in his Jewish faith. Hoping to mend fences with his Rabbi father who can’t forgive his career change, Jonah agrees to direct the Hanukkah play, never expecting to clash with his beautiful, fire-starting new next-door neighbor.
By day they spar—Ellie’s desperate to live up to her mom’s legacy while Jonah’s driven to impress his dad. But by night they return to their secret candle-lighting ritual. Will their love burn as brightly as the Hanukkah flames?
Firefighter Jonah Spellman may have dropped out of seminary, but he still has deep roots in his Jewish faith. Hoping to mend fences with his Rabbi father who can’t forgive his career change, Jonah agrees to direct the Hanukkah play, never expecting to clash with his beautiful, fire-starting new next-door neighbor.
By day they spar—Ellie’s desperate to live up to her mom’s legacy while Jonah’s driven to impress his dad. But by night they return to their secret candle-lighting ritual. Will their love burn as brightly as the Hanukkah flames?
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2021
About the author
Rebecca Crowley
28 books93 followersRebecca Crowley writes contemporary romance about good people doing their best, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City, London and Johannesburg, Rebecca currently resides in Houston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 17, 2023
I know Rebecca Crowley from her soccer romances (such as Crossing Hearts, which I previously reviewed at AAR) but currently she’s been writing a contemporary romance series called Orchard Hill, with characters who practice their Jewish faith. I picked up Shine a Light, a Hanukkah-themed romance recently and thoroughly enjoyed this holiday read.
Ellie Bloom’s life is going up in smoke – literally. Her mother died a few years earlier (her father died when she was young), and she’s still coping with the grief and loss. She’s overworked in her executive assistant position at a bank, which is not remotely the career as an actress that she thought she’d embark on. And now her plans to make a romantic dinner for her date have ended in a kitchen fire. Plus her date not only cancelled on the dinner he also broke things off permanently, so now she’s single again and with a ruined apartment. The one bright note is the handsome firefighter who comes to her rescue and is both empathetic and reassuring.
Fortunately, Ellie’s younger sister Naomi lives nearby with her husband and two children, in Orchard Hill where they grew up. Since the death of their mother Ellie has avoided going home as much as possible but in these circumstances she is grateful to have family to stay with. And wouldn’t you know it, Naomi’s new neighbor Jonah Spellman is the firefighter who came to Ellie’s rescue. He’s also the son of the Rabbi at Temple Sinai, and the children’s new Hebrew teacher. With the first night of Hanukkah unfolding, Ellie lights the menorah candle upstairs in her bedroom, only to see in a window across the yard a man doing the same. Silently, together, they enact the familiar ritual prayer.
When Ellie’s nephews mention that the Temple doesn’t have anyone to direct the Hanukkah play this year and asks her to do it, Ellie’s memories of her mother’s involvement in the annual production convince her to volunteer. When she shows up for the first day of rehearsal, she finds that Jonah is also there, and that he’s volunteered as a favour to his father. With two directors and two very different ideas of how the play should unfold, Ellie and Jonah find themselves at odds on the stage, yet in sync at night as Hanukkah unfolds. Gradually becoming friends and with romantic feelings blossoming, will Ellie discover that home is where the heart is after all?
This is a lovely, heartwarming story, though readers should know that grief and loss from the death of Ellie and Naomi’s mother are a major part of the plot. Ellie and Naomi’s relationship is strained because Ellie has thrown herself into her work as a way to avoid dealing with her emotions, often missing family events as a result. Now that she’s living with Naomi, Ellie finds herself confronted with memories and memorabilia. Her plans to move to Los Angelas and make it big as an actress, a dream she hasn’t given up on, are partly a way to escape her feelings. But living in the present means having to face reality. Part of that is finding a way to become close to her sister again.
Unlike Ellie, Jonah’s problems are with his very much alive father. While studying to be a Rabbi in Israel, Jonah had realized that he didn’t want to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, and instead became a fireman after assisting as a volunteer firefighter on the kibbutz. He’s moved home but the disappointment his father professes at every turn for his decision to abandon the seminary means their relationship is a constant source of irritation and frustration for Jonah. He hopes that helping with the Hanukkah play will give him and his father a chance to bond again, but his father seems to only see what Ellie is doing and not the effort that Jonah is making. It’s not until later in the story, when some quick actions need to be taken to avoid disaster, that they are able to start mending their relationship.
While Ellie and Jonah are dealing with their family issues and the activity and excitement of the children’s holiday play, the nights of connection with their shared candle lighting and prayers start to cement their very real feelings for each other. Ellie’s dream of making it as an actress will leave little room for a relationship with a man who doesn’t plan to go anywhere far from Orchard Hill. Yet the author skillfully weaves in a way for both to get what they want and need, as well as a sweet happy ending. Readers looking for faith, family and forever will find a lot to enjoy here.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
Ellie Bloom’s life is going up in smoke – literally. Her mother died a few years earlier (her father died when she was young), and she’s still coping with the grief and loss. She’s overworked in her executive assistant position at a bank, which is not remotely the career as an actress that she thought she’d embark on. And now her plans to make a romantic dinner for her date have ended in a kitchen fire. Plus her date not only cancelled on the dinner he also broke things off permanently, so now she’s single again and with a ruined apartment. The one bright note is the handsome firefighter who comes to her rescue and is both empathetic and reassuring.
Fortunately, Ellie’s younger sister Naomi lives nearby with her husband and two children, in Orchard Hill where they grew up. Since the death of their mother Ellie has avoided going home as much as possible but in these circumstances she is grateful to have family to stay with. And wouldn’t you know it, Naomi’s new neighbor Jonah Spellman is the firefighter who came to Ellie’s rescue. He’s also the son of the Rabbi at Temple Sinai, and the children’s new Hebrew teacher. With the first night of Hanukkah unfolding, Ellie lights the menorah candle upstairs in her bedroom, only to see in a window across the yard a man doing the same. Silently, together, they enact the familiar ritual prayer.
When Ellie’s nephews mention that the Temple doesn’t have anyone to direct the Hanukkah play this year and asks her to do it, Ellie’s memories of her mother’s involvement in the annual production convince her to volunteer. When she shows up for the first day of rehearsal, she finds that Jonah is also there, and that he’s volunteered as a favour to his father. With two directors and two very different ideas of how the play should unfold, Ellie and Jonah find themselves at odds on the stage, yet in sync at night as Hanukkah unfolds. Gradually becoming friends and with romantic feelings blossoming, will Ellie discover that home is where the heart is after all?
This is a lovely, heartwarming story, though readers should know that grief and loss from the death of Ellie and Naomi’s mother are a major part of the plot. Ellie and Naomi’s relationship is strained because Ellie has thrown herself into her work as a way to avoid dealing with her emotions, often missing family events as a result. Now that she’s living with Naomi, Ellie finds herself confronted with memories and memorabilia. Her plans to move to Los Angelas and make it big as an actress, a dream she hasn’t given up on, are partly a way to escape her feelings. But living in the present means having to face reality. Part of that is finding a way to become close to her sister again.
Unlike Ellie, Jonah’s problems are with his very much alive father. While studying to be a Rabbi in Israel, Jonah had realized that he didn’t want to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, and instead became a fireman after assisting as a volunteer firefighter on the kibbutz. He’s moved home but the disappointment his father professes at every turn for his decision to abandon the seminary means their relationship is a constant source of irritation and frustration for Jonah. He hopes that helping with the Hanukkah play will give him and his father a chance to bond again, but his father seems to only see what Ellie is doing and not the effort that Jonah is making. It’s not until later in the story, when some quick actions need to be taken to avoid disaster, that they are able to start mending their relationship.
While Ellie and Jonah are dealing with their family issues and the activity and excitement of the children’s holiday play, the nights of connection with their shared candle lighting and prayers start to cement their very real feelings for each other. Ellie’s dream of making it as an actress will leave little room for a relationship with a man who doesn’t plan to go anywhere far from Orchard Hill. Yet the author skillfully weaves in a way for both to get what they want and need, as well as a sweet happy ending. Readers looking for faith, family and forever will find a lot to enjoy here.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
November 30, 2021
This is a lovely and tender Hanukkah romance and I greatly enjoyed it. I usually go for high drama, high angst romance and this is very much the opposite and it still worked great for me.
I have enjoyed some of this author's previous football romance and was excited to read her take on holiday romance. I was curious to read something that was not about Christmas but about Hanukkah and they way it is celebrate.
I liked both MCs, two young Jewish people dealing with their own issues. There was a lot of focus on loss and grief which I didn't expect but also think it was beautifully handled. It did bring tears to my eyes, so visceral was the sense of loss.
In a lot of way this is a small town romance, rather focused on traditional values of family and community with no hint of queer people even existing, something I am not too happy about.
I did like the exploration of what having a community around you means - the support but also the meddling and memories and pressure. We see supportive families but also the burden of their expectations. There were no major conflicts, romantic or otherwise, the tension was brought about by some unfortunate circumstances and miscommunication.
It is a festive, heart-warming, deeply hopeful and happy making romance. A perfect holiday read to dissipate the cold and darkness of the winter outside.
CW: loss of a parent to cancer, fire, road traffic accident
I have enjoyed some of this author's previous football romance and was excited to read her take on holiday romance. I was curious to read something that was not about Christmas but about Hanukkah and they way it is celebrate.
I liked both MCs, two young Jewish people dealing with their own issues. There was a lot of focus on loss and grief which I didn't expect but also think it was beautifully handled. It did bring tears to my eyes, so visceral was the sense of loss.
In a lot of way this is a small town romance, rather focused on traditional values of family and community with no hint of queer people even existing, something I am not too happy about.
I did like the exploration of what having a community around you means - the support but also the meddling and memories and pressure. We see supportive families but also the burden of their expectations. There were no major conflicts, romantic or otherwise, the tension was brought about by some unfortunate circumstances and miscommunication.
It is a festive, heart-warming, deeply hopeful and happy making romance. A perfect holiday read to dissipate the cold and darkness of the winter outside.
CW: loss of a parent to cancer, fire, road traffic accident
December 4, 2023
4.5/5 stars
What a cute Hanukkah romance novella.
This is the first book in the Orchard Hill series. It is Ellie and Jonah's story.
What I liked: The Jewish rep was amazing. I loved the Hanukkah play. Her relationship with her sister. Her dream of being an actress. Him being a firefighter/paramedic and a Hebrew teacher. And the conflict with his dad and her mom's death impacting her added so much to the story.I
Such a sweet fun story!
What a cute Hanukkah romance novella.
This is the first book in the Orchard Hill series. It is Ellie and Jonah's story.
What I liked: The Jewish rep was amazing. I loved the Hanukkah play. Her relationship with her sister. Her dream of being an actress. Him being a firefighter/paramedic and a Hebrew teacher. And the conflict with his dad and her mom's death impacting her added so much to the story.I
Such a sweet fun story!
October 28, 2022
3.5 stars. First, Jonah puts out a fire at Ellie’s apartment. Second, when she temporarily moves in with her sister, she realizes Jonah lives next door. They light the candles for their respective menorahs at the same time in some lovely window symmetry. Finally, they both get roped into helping direct the Hanukkah play. They have different visions: Ellie wants to live up to her deceased mom’s legacy as she directed the play for decades, while Jonah wants to break down the wall between him and his rabbi father since he chose firefighting over becoming a rabbi himself. Clearly these two are meant to be, if only they’ll get out if their own way.
After a rocky start, they realize they make a pretty good team and start to appreciate each other. But there are a few barriers in their way. Ellie is working through complicated grief. She’s done her best to avoid Orchard Hill since her mom died and now she’s decided she’s going to move to LA and pursue her dream of acting at long last. This plan seemed flimsy at best. She hasn’t looked for apartments out there, nor has she lined up any kind of job. She has an agent but so do a lot of Hollywood hopefuls. What she needed to do was pretty clear to me and I didn’t have a whole lot of patience for how long it took her to decide on the inevitable, especially since so much of her decision hung on the “what if” of Jonah. Staying in town for a guy you’re interested in but not actually dating is not a good look.
Jonah has troubles of his own, centered around his rocky relationship with his dad. It was interesting how Jonah and Ellie’s conflict styles so directly contrast each other. Whereas Ellie runs away from her problems, Jonah is a people pleaser who moved to Orchard Hill when his dad got the job at the temple, even though his dad was barely speaking to him at the time. Their conflict was easily resolved in the end, to the point that I’m not sure I trust his dad will follow through. Then again, Jonah and I have very different personalities so I hope for his sake all will be well.
I’ve talked more about their issues than their relationship. The story takes place over the course of Hanukkah. I’ve read other Hanukkah romances where the quickness of the relationship and depth of feelings made perfect sense. In this case, Ellie and Jonah didn’t spend enough time together on page for me to believe they were in love. I thought we were going to get more of them directing the play and interacting beyond being neighbors who light the menorah at the same time every night. (Don’t get me wrong: I loved how they watched for each other out the window.) They haven’t even gone out on an actual date! They’re definitely into each other but the whole week passes with Ellie thinking she’s going to move to LA and Jonah not making a move as a result…and then all of a sudden she’s staying and they love each other?? It was way too instalove, which is interesting given that is chaste. On page sex scenes wouldn’t have necessarily made sense for this couple but there needed to be other ways of illustrating their growing intimacy without that.
In the end, Jonah and Ellie do bring out the best in each other and I’m sure they’ll be fine for the long haul. Although Ellie would still probably benefit from therapy for her grief. It was nice to have a Hanukkah romance where both characters take their faith seriously and it’s a big part of the story, even though Hanukkah is far from the most important holiday for them.
Note: this is a white cishet world and heteronormative to boot.
Characters: Ellie is a white executive assistant at a bank and an aspiring actress. Jonah is a white firefighter. This is set in St. Louis and Orchard Hill, MO.
Content notes: FMC is in a car accident , concussion, past death of FMC’s parents (mom died of lymphoma two years ago, dad died of an aneurysm), apartment fire (no injuries), alcohol, gender essentialism, ableist language
After a rocky start, they realize they make a pretty good team and start to appreciate each other. But there are a few barriers in their way. Ellie is working through complicated grief. She’s done her best to avoid Orchard Hill since her mom died and now she’s decided she’s going to move to LA and pursue her dream of acting at long last. This plan seemed flimsy at best. She hasn’t looked for apartments out there, nor has she lined up any kind of job. She has an agent but so do a lot of Hollywood hopefuls. What she needed to do was pretty clear to me and I didn’t have a whole lot of patience for how long it took her to decide on the inevitable, especially since so much of her decision hung on the “what if” of Jonah. Staying in town for a guy you’re interested in but not actually dating is not a good look.
Jonah has troubles of his own, centered around his rocky relationship with his dad. It was interesting how Jonah and Ellie’s conflict styles so directly contrast each other. Whereas Ellie runs away from her problems, Jonah is a people pleaser who moved to Orchard Hill when his dad got the job at the temple, even though his dad was barely speaking to him at the time. Their conflict was easily resolved in the end, to the point that I’m not sure I trust his dad will follow through. Then again, Jonah and I have very different personalities so I hope for his sake all will be well.
I’ve talked more about their issues than their relationship. The story takes place over the course of Hanukkah. I’ve read other Hanukkah romances where the quickness of the relationship and depth of feelings made perfect sense. In this case, Ellie and Jonah didn’t spend enough time together on page for me to believe they were in love. I thought we were going to get more of them directing the play and interacting beyond being neighbors who light the menorah at the same time every night. (Don’t get me wrong: I loved how they watched for each other out the window.) They haven’t even gone out on an actual date! They’re definitely into each other but the whole week passes with Ellie thinking she’s going to move to LA and Jonah not making a move as a result…and then all of a sudden she’s staying and they love each other?? It was way too instalove, which is interesting given that is chaste. On page sex scenes wouldn’t have necessarily made sense for this couple but there needed to be other ways of illustrating their growing intimacy without that.
In the end, Jonah and Ellie do bring out the best in each other and I’m sure they’ll be fine for the long haul. Although Ellie would still probably benefit from therapy for her grief. It was nice to have a Hanukkah romance where both characters take their faith seriously and it’s a big part of the story, even though Hanukkah is far from the most important holiday for them.
Note: this is a white cishet world and heteronormative to boot.
Characters: Ellie is a white executive assistant at a bank and an aspiring actress. Jonah is a white firefighter. This is set in St. Louis and Orchard Hill, MO.
Content notes: FMC is in a car accident , concussion, past death of FMC’s parents (mom died of lymphoma two years ago, dad died of an aneurysm), apartment fire (no injuries), alcohol, gender essentialism, ableist language
December 3, 2021
3.75 stars
Jonah and Ellie meet when he and his fellow firefighters arrive at her apartment to put out her kitchen fire. Through a series of coincidences they end up directing the local Hanukkah children's play. This is the story of their budding relationship through the eight days of Hanukkah, but on a deeper level it's the story of them confronting their personal issues of grief and familial relationships.
Both main characters were interesting and likeable, and the story was sweet, but also complex enough to keep my attention. I enjoyed learning more about Hanukkah traditions along the way.
Jonah and Ellie meet when he and his fellow firefighters arrive at her apartment to put out her kitchen fire. Through a series of coincidences they end up directing the local Hanukkah children's play. This is the story of their budding relationship through the eight days of Hanukkah, but on a deeper level it's the story of them confronting their personal issues of grief and familial relationships.
Both main characters were interesting and likeable, and the story was sweet, but also complex enough to keep my attention. I enjoyed learning more about Hanukkah traditions along the way.
December 15, 2022
A cheesy novel to get you into the holiday spirit! The characters in this were incredibly cute and very endearing. Sometimes contemporary romance books seem super outlandish to me, but this one felt like something that might actually happen. It was a quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I even teared up a few times! Definitely recommend 🙂
December 15, 2022
It was a cute fast read. Got me in the Hanukkah mood 😁
December 7, 2021
I received this arc of Shine a Light from Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in the Orchard Hill series by Rebecca Crowley. Rebecca is a new author to me and I liked the book very much. I enjoyed that this was a Hanukkah story as there are not that many that I have found. I was able to learn more about the background of the holiday from the information provided by the author.
The book features Ellie Bloom who is originally from a suburb of St. Louis but had moved to the city for work as well as to escape after her mother died. At the start of the book, Ellie accidentally sets fire to her apartment and quickly exits. She meets the fireman at the fire and refers to him in her mind as the hot fireman. As her apartment is no longer habitable, she goes back to her hometown to stay with her sister and her family. She hates her job at the bank but it pays well and now she will also have to add a long commute to her day. She is planning to move to LA and go into acting as soon as she has enough saved up.
It is the first day of Hanukkah and she sets up a menorah in her room. She notices through the window that the next door neighbor is also lighting his candle in his bedroom. It is the hot fireman and they see each other. Ellie is asked and agrees reluctantly to direct the children's Hanukkah play at the temple like her mother used to do. She is surprised to learn she is co-directing with the rabbi’s son. And the rabbi’s son is Jonah Spellman, aka the hot fireman. Ellie and Jonah butt heads on the writing of the play and their plan for it. On spite of their differences, they still meet at the window each night to light candles together.
We learn that Jonah was studying to become a rabbi like his father and changed at the last minute to become a fire fighter/paramedic. His father is very disappointed in his career choice since he quit on his original plans.. Jonah’s parents moved to the new town from the east coast and he followed them to try and get back to better terms with his dad. Ellie doesn’t want to stay there as it has too many sad memories after her mom died. Ellie and her sister had drifted apart but now they are spending some time together and hopefully repair any problems they have. She and Jonah have spent time talking and sharing their pasts, their hopes and their dreams. They recognize there’s chemistry between them but he knows she is moving soon. She knows he wants to put down roots and fix his problems with his dad. There is a lot of angst and sadness for the loss of their happier pasts. They continue to meet each night at their respective windows to light their candles and wonder what will happen.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I enjoyed the characters and empathized with their losses and enjoyed their interactions. I gave it 5 stars. I look forward the the next book in the series and reading more by Rebecca.
The book features Ellie Bloom who is originally from a suburb of St. Louis but had moved to the city for work as well as to escape after her mother died. At the start of the book, Ellie accidentally sets fire to her apartment and quickly exits. She meets the fireman at the fire and refers to him in her mind as the hot fireman. As her apartment is no longer habitable, she goes back to her hometown to stay with her sister and her family. She hates her job at the bank but it pays well and now she will also have to add a long commute to her day. She is planning to move to LA and go into acting as soon as she has enough saved up.
It is the first day of Hanukkah and she sets up a menorah in her room. She notices through the window that the next door neighbor is also lighting his candle in his bedroom. It is the hot fireman and they see each other. Ellie is asked and agrees reluctantly to direct the children's Hanukkah play at the temple like her mother used to do. She is surprised to learn she is co-directing with the rabbi’s son. And the rabbi’s son is Jonah Spellman, aka the hot fireman. Ellie and Jonah butt heads on the writing of the play and their plan for it. On spite of their differences, they still meet at the window each night to light candles together.
We learn that Jonah was studying to become a rabbi like his father and changed at the last minute to become a fire fighter/paramedic. His father is very disappointed in his career choice since he quit on his original plans.. Jonah’s parents moved to the new town from the east coast and he followed them to try and get back to better terms with his dad. Ellie doesn’t want to stay there as it has too many sad memories after her mom died. Ellie and her sister had drifted apart but now they are spending some time together and hopefully repair any problems they have. She and Jonah have spent time talking and sharing their pasts, their hopes and their dreams. They recognize there’s chemistry between them but he knows she is moving soon. She knows he wants to put down roots and fix his problems with his dad. There is a lot of angst and sadness for the loss of their happier pasts. They continue to meet each night at their respective windows to light their candles and wonder what will happen.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I enjoyed the characters and empathized with their losses and enjoyed their interactions. I gave it 5 stars. I look forward the the next book in the series and reading more by Rebecca.
November 30, 2021
Shine a Light by Rebecca Crowley
Orchard Hill, Book 1
When Ellie Bloom’s life literally goes up in flames after an apartment fire, she slinks back to her sister’s house in the St. Louis suburb she’s avoided since her mom died. Ellie quickly caves to her nephews’ pleas to direct the temple Hanukkah play—her mom’s pride and joy—and by the time she’s lighting the first candle in her menorah, she doubts she’ll ever escape her hometown. And then she spots the cute fireman who rescued her lighting his own menorah in the window next door.
Firefighter Jonah Spellman may have dropped out of seminary, but he still has deep roots in his Jewish faith. Hoping to mend fences with his Rabbi father who can’t forgive his career change, Jonah agrees to direct the Hanukkah play, never expecting to clash with his beautiful, fire-starting new next-door neighbor.
By day they spar—Ellie’s desperate to live up to her mom’s legacy while Jonah’s driven to impress his dad. But by night they return to their secret candle-lighting ritual. Will their love burn as brightly as the Hanukkah flames?
This is Ellie Bloom and Jonah Spellman's story.
Ellie Bloom’s shoe broke halfway up the stairs to her apartment. One minute she was racing to her front door, the next her stiletto heel snapped clean off and her foot hit the stair hard.
Her ankle twisted on impact and she sucked in a breath, her eyes watering from the flash of pain.
Then she hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder and kept going, taking the stairs two at a time.
Then she took all leave of her senses. “Eliana Bloom?” he asked. Ellie barely heard him, too distracted by the most perfect face she’d seen in a long time— maybe forever.
Shifting the bag of a dozen bagels to one hand, Jonah raised his foot off the ground and balanced the drinks container on his knee while he used his other hand to shove his key into the lock on his parents’ front door.
He released the latch, turned the handle, and managed to snatch up the cardboard carrier seconds before the three steaming cups of coffee inside would’ve tumbled to the ground.
“Breakfast,” he called triumphantly, holding the bagels and coffees aloft. Silence.
Shine a Light by Rebecca Crowley is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Rebecca Crowley.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Orchard Hill, Book 1
When Ellie Bloom’s life literally goes up in flames after an apartment fire, she slinks back to her sister’s house in the St. Louis suburb she’s avoided since her mom died. Ellie quickly caves to her nephews’ pleas to direct the temple Hanukkah play—her mom’s pride and joy—and by the time she’s lighting the first candle in her menorah, she doubts she’ll ever escape her hometown. And then she spots the cute fireman who rescued her lighting his own menorah in the window next door.
Firefighter Jonah Spellman may have dropped out of seminary, but he still has deep roots in his Jewish faith. Hoping to mend fences with his Rabbi father who can’t forgive his career change, Jonah agrees to direct the Hanukkah play, never expecting to clash with his beautiful, fire-starting new next-door neighbor.
By day they spar—Ellie’s desperate to live up to her mom’s legacy while Jonah’s driven to impress his dad. But by night they return to their secret candle-lighting ritual. Will their love burn as brightly as the Hanukkah flames?
This is Ellie Bloom and Jonah Spellman's story.
Ellie Bloom’s shoe broke halfway up the stairs to her apartment. One minute she was racing to her front door, the next her stiletto heel snapped clean off and her foot hit the stair hard.
Her ankle twisted on impact and she sucked in a breath, her eyes watering from the flash of pain.
Then she hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder and kept going, taking the stairs two at a time.
Then she took all leave of her senses. “Eliana Bloom?” he asked. Ellie barely heard him, too distracted by the most perfect face she’d seen in a long time— maybe forever.
Shifting the bag of a dozen bagels to one hand, Jonah raised his foot off the ground and balanced the drinks container on his knee while he used his other hand to shove his key into the lock on his parents’ front door.
He released the latch, turned the handle, and managed to snatch up the cardboard carrier seconds before the three steaming cups of coffee inside would’ve tumbled to the ground.
“Breakfast,” he called triumphantly, holding the bagels and coffees aloft. Silence.
Shine a Light by Rebecca Crowley is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Rebecca Crowley.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
December 2, 2021
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
Shine a Light begins the Orchard Hill series with a lively romance between two people who on the surface don’t match up… but then the surface only tells part of the story, it’s the heart where the magic truly begins.
I deeply appreciate the more in-depth diversity in the romance genre/publishing houses. Through Ellie and Jonah, I learned so much more about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the importance of their faith to them. I may not share their particular faith, but I enjoyed understanding more than I had – knowledge is always welcome in my world.
Shine a Light is a lovely small town romance that brings unlikely people together as they each deal with parental issues – some that can never truly be resolved due to the parent’s death, yet the other has a chance to get his father to understand his choices and perhaps forgive a decision that changed the direction of a life. Poor Ellie. She does seem to be hit with “if it weren’t for bad luck she’d have no luck at all” syndrome. Between an apartment fire, a sprained ankle, and broken heels she’s also now dealing with a promise to her nephew to direct the annual Hanukkah play, something her deceased mother was devoted to and now Ellie has to somehow take over with amazing results (she hopes). She’ll do it but it will also smother her in fears of failure and memories she cannot outrun.
Jonah comes to Ellie’s rescue often, yet this quiet, determined man hides his own parental difficulties as he takes on directing the Hanukkah play before realizing that his accident-prone neighbor has already done so. Now they’re co-directing and clashing over unimportant things as each tries to honor a parent, or impress a parent.
I loved watching their eyes open to not only each other but the possibilities ahead for them. It’s going to be a bumpy road, yet they have a good chance of finding a happy ever after ending with each other if they’re willing to take the risks of letting someone in. I had fun in this world and I’m looking forward to the next installment of the series in the Spring of 2022.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Shine a Light begins the Orchard Hill series with a lively romance between two people who on the surface don’t match up… but then the surface only tells part of the story, it’s the heart where the magic truly begins.
I deeply appreciate the more in-depth diversity in the romance genre/publishing houses. Through Ellie and Jonah, I learned so much more about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the importance of their faith to them. I may not share their particular faith, but I enjoyed understanding more than I had – knowledge is always welcome in my world.
Shine a Light is a lovely small town romance that brings unlikely people together as they each deal with parental issues – some that can never truly be resolved due to the parent’s death, yet the other has a chance to get his father to understand his choices and perhaps forgive a decision that changed the direction of a life. Poor Ellie. She does seem to be hit with “if it weren’t for bad luck she’d have no luck at all” syndrome. Between an apartment fire, a sprained ankle, and broken heels she’s also now dealing with a promise to her nephew to direct the annual Hanukkah play, something her deceased mother was devoted to and now Ellie has to somehow take over with amazing results (she hopes). She’ll do it but it will also smother her in fears of failure and memories she cannot outrun.
Jonah comes to Ellie’s rescue often, yet this quiet, determined man hides his own parental difficulties as he takes on directing the Hanukkah play before realizing that his accident-prone neighbor has already done so. Now they’re co-directing and clashing over unimportant things as each tries to honor a parent, or impress a parent.
I loved watching their eyes open to not only each other but the possibilities ahead for them. It’s going to be a bumpy road, yet they have a good chance of finding a happy ever after ending with each other if they’re willing to take the risks of letting someone in. I had fun in this world and I’m looking forward to the next installment of the series in the Spring of 2022.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
January 5, 2022
Review coming soonJonah and Ellie’s story in Shine A Light by Rebecca Crowley, book one in her Orchard Hill series, is a sweet, emotional, holiday story that warmed my heart. Jonah and Ellie meet when he and his fellow firefighters arrive at her apartment to put out her kitchen fire. Ellie's life isn't what she wanted it to be and after her kitchen fire she ends up staying with her sister, in the small town where they grew up. Before she knows it, she is producing the local Hanukah play and clashing with the man who is also working on the play; Jonah the firefighter who came to her rescue. Jonah disappointed his family when he left the seminary to become a firefighter, believing his Rabbi father has never really forgiven him. He sees the play as the way to get back into his father’s good graces. When fire fighter Jonah walked into Ellie’s apartment, I couldn’t wait to see how their romance would start; a connection between them was established. I enjoyed the scenes with them working together on the Hanukkah play and especially the scenes where they met at their windows every night to light their menorahs. This is the story of their budding relationship through the eight days of Hanukkah, but on a deeper level it's the story of them confronting their personal issues of grief and family relationships.
Ms. Crowley wrote a wonderfully sweet, festive, heartwarming, and moving story that is not to be missed. This story contains perfect chemistry, clever banter, holiday magic, the love of family, and charming characters giving Ellie and Jonah a chance to fall in love and live their dreams together; creating their own light. I highly recommend Shine A Light to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Ms. Crowley wrote a wonderfully sweet, festive, heartwarming, and moving story that is not to be missed. This story contains perfect chemistry, clever banter, holiday magic, the love of family, and charming characters giving Ellie and Jonah a chance to fall in love and live their dreams together; creating their own light. I highly recommend Shine A Light to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
November 30, 2021
Shine a Light (Orchard Hill #1) is the best book I have read written by Rebecca Crowley A firefighter, a woman and one apartment fire start off this story with Hanukkah plays and menorahs coming into the story soon afterwards. Two people who are driven by parent approval even when that parent has passed makes this an emotional holiday story.
Well written with characters that are likable even with their flaw of stubbornness. Perhaps more so because we can relate so well to them. It was so touching when they would happen to meet while lighting the candles on the menorahs. Such sweet scenes that you could help but want these two to work out their differences so they could see the wonderful relationship waiting for them together. Believe me, it was not always a given in this story.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Well written with characters that are likable even with their flaw of stubbornness. Perhaps more so because we can relate so well to them. It was so touching when they would happen to meet while lighting the candles on the menorahs. Such sweet scenes that you could help but want these two to work out their differences so they could see the wonderful relationship waiting for them together. Believe me, it was not always a given in this story.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 11, 2024
Shine a Light is a very sweet romance set during Hanukkah. Ellie is mourning her mother’s death and keeping herself from her hometown and family to lessen the painful memories. She is concerned with making her mom’s dreams come true as she pursuers an acting career. Jonah is a firefighter who left rabbinical school to pursue his career. His rabbi father is disappointed in him and this weighs heavily on Jonah. They meet through an unfortunate accident and then coincidentally meet up again in the small town Ellie grew up in. The wind up both volunteering to direct this years children’s Hanukkah play and they get to know each other better. There is some drama as Ellie decides whether or not to leave her family and Jonah for LA, and Jonah struggles with his father’s feelings. There are many sweet and heartfelt moments as these two learn to rely and lean on each other. And of course a wonderful hea!
November 30, 2021
This is a glorious small town read that totally drew me in A holiday read that is set around Hanukah which I must admit was all new to me as i don't know a lot about the Jewish faith A totally gorgeous read that i couldn't put down
Ellie's life isn't what she wants it to be and the final straw is when she sets her kitchen on fire this leads to her having to stay with her sister and before she knows she is producing the local Hanukah play This leads to clashes with the man who is also working on the play The man who just happens to be the firefighter that came to her rescue. Jonah disappointed his family when he left the seminary to become a firefighter and his Rabbi father has never really forgiven him and he sees the play as he way to get back into his fathers good graces Can these two work together can more develop and can they have a future together You will have to read to see
Ellie's life isn't what she wants it to be and the final straw is when she sets her kitchen on fire this leads to her having to stay with her sister and before she knows she is producing the local Hanukah play This leads to clashes with the man who is also working on the play The man who just happens to be the firefighter that came to her rescue. Jonah disappointed his family when he left the seminary to become a firefighter and his Rabbi father has never really forgiven him and he sees the play as he way to get back into his fathers good graces Can these two work together can more develop and can they have a future together You will have to read to see
December 3, 2021
A light, fun read in the vein of Hallmark stories, Rebecca Crowley’s Shine a Light is a holiday tale about family and dreams. I could connect with Ellie’s struggle between continuing to make the comfortable and practical choices in life versus pushing past the uncertainty of reaching for one’s dreams. I enjoyed reading about the characters lighting the hanukkiah as my own flickered nearby, as well as seeing some of the other holiday traditions and their backgrounds threaded through the novel.
The characters’ voices at times bled together a bit too much, sounding too similar. More showing rather than telling and a stronger sense of setting would have also helped take the reader deeper into the story.
I recommend Shine a Light to romance fans looking for a quick, entertaining read to get into the Hanukkah season.
Review copy provided by publisher. Thank you!
The characters’ voices at times bled together a bit too much, sounding too similar. More showing rather than telling and a stronger sense of setting would have also helped take the reader deeper into the story.
I recommend Shine a Light to romance fans looking for a quick, entertaining read to get into the Hanukkah season.
Review copy provided by publisher. Thank you!
December 24, 2022
Ellie Bloom has deferred her dreams for years to help the family and care for her mother. Now she has a agent and ready to move on. Until a fire ruins her apartment. Jonah Spellman was going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a rabbi. Only an event in Israel changed everything. These two met outside her apartment as he is a firefighter. The attraction is instant. The only problem is that she isn't going to stay, she is going to CA. He just moved here and has no plans on leaving. She's running from all the memories of her mom and he's running to stay in his dad's world. The children's Hanukkah play brings them together even more. It takes a life and death situation to make them realize what is really important. Miracles can happen.
November 5, 2021
A sweet romance during Hanukkah
I had a hard time putting this book down. My heart went out to Ellie when nothing seemed to be going as planned and then she ended up setting her kitchen on fire. When fire fighter Jonah walked in, I couldn’t wait to see how their romance would start. I enjoyed the scenes with them working together on the Hanukkah play and I especially loved the scenes where they met at their windows every night to light their menorahs. For a while, it looked like they wouldn’t end up together, but in the end, they fell in love and got to live their dreams together.
I had a hard time putting this book down. My heart went out to Ellie when nothing seemed to be going as planned and then she ended up setting her kitchen on fire. When fire fighter Jonah walked in, I couldn’t wait to see how their romance would start. I enjoyed the scenes with them working together on the Hanukkah play and I especially loved the scenes where they met at their windows every night to light their menorahs. For a while, it looked like they wouldn’t end up together, but in the end, they fell in love and got to live their dreams together.
November 30, 2021
Love this cute meet storyline with Ellie twisting( sprained) her ankle after her heel broke and Jonah was there to the rescue. (Firefighter) Love the family tradition of working on the Hanukkah play with her nephews and the cute firefighter again. I like the secondary story with Jonah dropping out of seminar school against his dad's wishes of being a Rabbi & fulfilling his dream of helping people in need as a Firefighter.Looking forward to book 2 already. Love the book cover of this one & book 2.
December 6, 2021
Such a charming Hanukkah romance! I really really loved this one. Thrilled to see the author has a Passover romance (!!!) coming out in April. A fantastic addition to the minuscule amount of Hanukkah romances out there! ☺️💙✨
Trigger warning: death of a parent from cancer (one of the MC’s lost their mother somewhat recently so there is brief mention of the illness but ultimately I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming in terms of the description of the illness itself).
Trigger warning: death of a parent from cancer (one of the MC’s lost their mother somewhat recently so there is brief mention of the illness but ultimately I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming in terms of the description of the illness itself).
December 1, 2021
What a great small town read. Ellie and Jonah meet when she sets her kitchen on fire and Jonah is the firefighter that comes to her rescue. Their story brought out many emotions while I was reading it. The author did a great job in telling their story. It was heartwarming, sweet, sad but it will still put a smile on your face. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2022
This book was super cute! I loved that both main characters were Jewish and it was a sweet story. Putting on a Hanukkah play was so much fun. Jonah and Ellie Madd a great pairing and I loved seeing their growth and healing throughout the book was fantastic. Also I thought the grief was handled really well. This was a short, but meaningful Hanukkah romance and I absolutely loved it!
November 8, 2021
A son desperate to reconnect with his father. A daughter longing to connect with her deceased mother. They are joined together at Hanukkah to find what they need and to need what they find.
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 3, 2022
Gosh, I just loved this book. It was sweet with a touch of serendipity. Both main characters are dealing with intense family issues. I do hope we'll see peaks of everyone in the next Orchard Hill book.
December 14, 2022
I wanted to love this so much and the premise is perfection but honestly… it just felt weird and rushed and the wildly immature enemies to lovers action undermined the real angst and character work that could have driven the story.
December 4, 2021
Cute, a little slow. Nice to have Chanukah representation. I didn’t love the fact that everything had to happen so quickly—would have liked to read a situation that progressed more organically.
2.5
2.5
November 11, 2022
Great read ....loved the Hanukkah story line
Lovely plot and fab realistic characters alongside unique setting of events and the Hanukkah themes ... I really enjoyed it
Lovely plot and fab realistic characters alongside unique setting of events and the Hanukkah themes ... I really enjoyed it
December 25, 2022
Good read
March 5, 2023
Delightful read! I enjoyed learning a bit more about Hanukkah. Sweet love story as well
April 28, 2023
Slow… took almost a month to motivate the finishing of this.
November 10, 2022
I loved this book! Though I am not Jewish, I found it interesting for this book to be set during Hannukah and enjoyed learning more about the customs. It is a very sweet, innocent love story that I was sad when it ended as I wanted more of these characters!
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