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Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery
Hanukkah days, Christmas nights and strawberry ice cream …
Cohen Ford is a man who could do with a little bit of sweetening up. It’s no surprise that when he walks into The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery on a typically gloomy London day before Christmas, he insists on a black coffee rather than his childhood favourite – strawberry ice cream.
But then he meets River de Luca, the woman behind the flavours. After their first encounter, Cohen begins visiting the ice creamery every Tuesday, gradually learning more about the intriguing River. Could her influence encourage cynical Cohen to become the man who embraces Christmas, Hanukkah and even strawberry ice cream?
Cohen Ford is a man who could do with a little bit of sweetening up. It’s no surprise that when he walks into The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery on a typically gloomy London day before Christmas, he insists on a black coffee rather than his childhood favourite – strawberry ice cream.
But then he meets River de Luca, the woman behind the flavours. After their first encounter, Cohen begins visiting the ice creamery every Tuesday, gradually learning more about the intriguing River. Could her influence encourage cynical Cohen to become the man who embraces Christmas, Hanukkah and even strawberry ice cream?
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 3, 2019
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery by Sharon Ibbotson is a 2019 Choc Lit publication.
A divinely enchanting and whimsical holiday treat!
World weary Cohen Ford grudgingly weathers the London gloom to run an errand for his mother. His mission takes him to a Greenwich ice creamery where he comes face to face with River De Luca-the daughter of his mother’s best friend, who is definitely off limits. His world tilts on its axis, causing him to pause and take stock of his life.
River’s life couldn’t have been more different from Cohen’s. She is deaf, abandoned by her birth parents, and hasn’t had the best luck in the romance department. How could Cohen, the wealthy man with a hardened heart be the right guy for her?
I loved this story!!
The atmosphere of the story immediately drew me in, and suddenly I could see the dreary London scenery and the charming brightness of the ice creamery by contrast. I knew this story would be good, and I was not disappointed.
The diversity and mingling of different religious celebrations are also a big draw. Cohen’s mother is Jewish, so she celebrates Hanukkah, and her faith has a big role in the story, as does her relationship with her son.
The challenges the deaf or hearing- impaired face is gently approached, with great respect, and is also an integral part of the romance.
The book is short, so things progress rapidly, but the relationships are fleshed out, and character growth, along with true love, develops beautifully. The story has its moments of poignancy, and can be emotive, but the tone has a fantastical quality to it, as well, making it feel positively magical!
Overall, this is simply a delightful story from start to finish!!
A divinely enchanting and whimsical holiday treat!
World weary Cohen Ford grudgingly weathers the London gloom to run an errand for his mother. His mission takes him to a Greenwich ice creamery where he comes face to face with River De Luca-the daughter of his mother’s best friend, who is definitely off limits. His world tilts on its axis, causing him to pause and take stock of his life.
River’s life couldn’t have been more different from Cohen’s. She is deaf, abandoned by her birth parents, and hasn’t had the best luck in the romance department. How could Cohen, the wealthy man with a hardened heart be the right guy for her?
I loved this story!!
The atmosphere of the story immediately drew me in, and suddenly I could see the dreary London scenery and the charming brightness of the ice creamery by contrast. I knew this story would be good, and I was not disappointed.
The diversity and mingling of different religious celebrations are also a big draw. Cohen’s mother is Jewish, so she celebrates Hanukkah, and her faith has a big role in the story, as does her relationship with her son.
The challenges the deaf or hearing- impaired face is gently approached, with great respect, and is also an integral part of the romance.
The book is short, so things progress rapidly, but the relationships are fleshed out, and character growth, along with true love, develops beautifully. The story has its moments of poignancy, and can be emotive, but the tone has a fantastical quality to it, as well, making it feel positively magical!
Overall, this is simply a delightful story from start to finish!!
December 5, 2019
Cohen Ford was in London from New York and entered The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery to give his mother’s long-time friend a gift from her. Rushi de Luca owned the ice creamery and her daughter River worked by her side. Cohen was immediately drawn to River and her to him. But River was deaf, the cause meningitis when she was only two years old. Rushi had adopted River when her own parents deserted her and was fiercely protective of her...
Cohen was a slave to his job – an elevated position at the company he worked for in New York – was going through a divorce, grieving the death of his father and feeling bitter toward his mother. But River was sweet, kind and compassionate. She saw something in Cohen that he himself didn’t know was there. And once he’d tasted his childhood favourite of strawberry icecream, he was hooked – his return each Tuesday was a must.
What would be the outcome for the cynical, grumpy Cohen and icecream making River with Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner?
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery by Sharon Ibbotson is another sweet Christmas story by an author I’ve not read before. Cohen wasn’t a likeable character so just as well River tamed him! Love, angst and the magic of Christmas set between London and New York. Recommended.
With thanks to ChocLit Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Cohen was a slave to his job – an elevated position at the company he worked for in New York – was going through a divorce, grieving the death of his father and feeling bitter toward his mother. But River was sweet, kind and compassionate. She saw something in Cohen that he himself didn’t know was there. And once he’d tasted his childhood favourite of strawberry icecream, he was hooked – his return each Tuesday was a must.
What would be the outcome for the cynical, grumpy Cohen and icecream making River with Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner?
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery by Sharon Ibbotson is another sweet Christmas story by an author I’ve not read before. Cohen wasn’t a likeable character so just as well River tamed him! Love, angst and the magic of Christmas set between London and New York. Recommended.
With thanks to ChocLit Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2022
I was initially really excited to finally read a Hanukkah romance, since I've noticed a glaring lack of representation for Jewish characters in holiday romances. I WAS excited ... until I got about 3 pages in.
Cohen was the first character we meet. He's clearly very concerned about his expensive clothing and his money (Jewish trope #1 - we're all rich). His mother, who is described as having connections with amazing and powerful people all around the world, and is a strong force in the boardroom of the company she runs (Jewish trope #2 - we control things), is suddenly reduced to using Yiddish terms and whining to guilt trip her son to force him to do things for her (Jewish trope #3 - Jewish mothers are controlling and manipulative).
The story doesn't get much better. The woman in the ice cream store is deaf, and her mother controls her life to "protect her," even though she's an adult and being deaf doesn't mean she can't function as an adult. Cohen's therapist is blatantly unethical, and it shows a complete lack of information about the counseling profession as a whole. This example is a great way to push people in need of treatment away from possibly seeking help.
The author clearly doesn't have a good grasp on Judaism. The Yiddish words that she uses are just kind of thrown in, and in some cases, they are conjugated incorrectly. The stunning lack of knowledge is evident in a variety of ways:
- Jews would never compare a puddle to baptismal water.
- There is not a single Jew who would ever be upset with their child for not visiting for Christmas or Easter, since those aren't even holidays we celebrate.
- Trying to work Jewish foods into random places, like comparing a mince pie (which from what I gather is a food that tastes of dried fruits and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove) to challah (which is BREAD) and cherry blintzes (which is a crepe filled with cherries).
- Cohen's mother describes herself as the "right kind of Jew," who follows the mandates of Judaism (keeping kosher, going to temple, etc), but then does the exact opposite by not following any of the religious mandates. What exactly is the RIGHT KIND OF JEW? I've never heard any Jew refer to the right or wrong kind of Jew.
Ultimately, what's billed as a Hanukkah romance ended up being a Christmas romance with the word Hanukkah in the title. It wasn't even a good book, to be honest. It's insulting to Jews, the deaf community, and the mental health profession as well. It clear that the author didn't make use of sensitivity readers, and it's a shame, because the idea COULD have been a good one, but fell FAR short of the mark. Instead of being a Hanukkah love story, it became an insulting joke that furthered existing stereotypes of Jews that are highly inaccurate. I'd suggest that you stay far away from this one.
Cohen was the first character we meet. He's clearly very concerned about his expensive clothing and his money (Jewish trope #1 - we're all rich). His mother, who is described as having connections with amazing and powerful people all around the world, and is a strong force in the boardroom of the company she runs (Jewish trope #2 - we control things), is suddenly reduced to using Yiddish terms and whining to guilt trip her son to force him to do things for her (Jewish trope #3 - Jewish mothers are controlling and manipulative).
The story doesn't get much better. The woman in the ice cream store is deaf, and her mother controls her life to "protect her," even though she's an adult and being deaf doesn't mean she can't function as an adult. Cohen's therapist is blatantly unethical, and it shows a complete lack of information about the counseling profession as a whole. This example is a great way to push people in need of treatment away from possibly seeking help.
The author clearly doesn't have a good grasp on Judaism. The Yiddish words that she uses are just kind of thrown in, and in some cases, they are conjugated incorrectly. The stunning lack of knowledge is evident in a variety of ways:
- Jews would never compare a puddle to baptismal water.
- There is not a single Jew who would ever be upset with their child for not visiting for Christmas or Easter, since those aren't even holidays we celebrate.
- Trying to work Jewish foods into random places, like comparing a mince pie (which from what I gather is a food that tastes of dried fruits and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove) to challah (which is BREAD) and cherry blintzes (which is a crepe filled with cherries).
- Cohen's mother describes herself as the "right kind of Jew," who follows the mandates of Judaism (keeping kosher, going to temple, etc), but then does the exact opposite by not following any of the religious mandates. What exactly is the RIGHT KIND OF JEW? I've never heard any Jew refer to the right or wrong kind of Jew.
Ultimately, what's billed as a Hanukkah romance ended up being a Christmas romance with the word Hanukkah in the title. It wasn't even a good book, to be honest. It's insulting to Jews, the deaf community, and the mental health profession as well. It clear that the author didn't make use of sensitivity readers, and it's a shame, because the idea COULD have been a good one, but fell FAR short of the mark. Instead of being a Hanukkah love story, it became an insulting joke that furthered existing stereotypes of Jews that are highly inaccurate. I'd suggest that you stay far away from this one.
December 20, 2019
This is a charming seasonal love story, with a really unique romance, between a grouchy Jewish New Yorker, trying his hardest to avoid Hanukkah with family and a deaf woman who creates ice cream flavours. This is the first Hanukkah set romance I have read – in fact, delete that, this is the first Hanukkah romance I have seen and I thoroughly enjoyed it, there definitely needs to be more stories like this in the world, I applaud Choc Lit and Sharon Ibbotson for giving this enchanting stories wings.
After a particularly nasty divorce, New Yorker; Cohen Ford takes a trip to London where he is tasked by his mother to deliver a gift to an old family friend. He isn’t looking forward to walking into the Ice Creamery as he fears childhood memories to re-awaken. He isn’t in any mood for ice cream, much preferring black coffee, but feels that he should do one thing for his mother after all their relationship is already fractured enough to put more strain on it by him disobeying.
But that all changes, his selfish and slightly withdrawn nature soon disappear when he meets the daughter of his mothers best friend; River De Luca, the captivating deaf woman who creates the most alluring ice creams. His attraction to her is instant, the moment he sets his eyes on her, he is struck by cupids arrow but fate and her mother seems to be against their relationship and he is soon warned off her, but does he take heed? Not on your nelly! I love the whole process of Cohen getting to know River, even though she is deaf and doesn’t speak, except in sign. The little ways she teaches him to communicate with her is so lovely, theirs is an extremely sweet budding romance, I love how he learns more about himself and how to move past his fracture relationship with his mother just by being with River.
Cohen doesn’t have the best relationship with his mother, in fac,t I don’t he really ever has had a great relationship with anyone, he has been known to be incredibly selfish and lost in his own world of pity, self destruct and obviously work. I do think that growing up in a turbulent household with parents who constantly screamed at one and other, then for his father to just up and leave has had a huge impact on Cohen and has moulded him into the man he is, some of it good and some bad. He is a man who has allowed his past and seeing his parents volatile relationship dictate how he leads his own life, which unfortunately did entail in his going down the; ‘oh, pity me’ and selfish path.
This is written entirely through Cohen’s point of view, which I thought was a refreshing change, true that does mean we don’t get a real insight into River’s thoughts except, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have an insight into her. I love how she says so much with not a single word, with her little touches, her patience in teaching him sign and their little written messages, I love how without a single word she seems to sense what is going on and what he needs, even if that is a tub of ice cream.
I really liked this! I love how Cohen goes from a melancholic grump who is a little immature, to a sensitive and loving man who has thrown himself into rebuilding his if, his relationship with his mother and learning about River, I really, really liked that turnaround with him.
The is the perfect seasonal cosy and feel-good story, it’s beautifully written and full of festive cheer – plus some delicious ice cream, honestly I am in pure heaven!
After a particularly nasty divorce, New Yorker; Cohen Ford takes a trip to London where he is tasked by his mother to deliver a gift to an old family friend. He isn’t looking forward to walking into the Ice Creamery as he fears childhood memories to re-awaken. He isn’t in any mood for ice cream, much preferring black coffee, but feels that he should do one thing for his mother after all their relationship is already fractured enough to put more strain on it by him disobeying.
But that all changes, his selfish and slightly withdrawn nature soon disappear when he meets the daughter of his mothers best friend; River De Luca, the captivating deaf woman who creates the most alluring ice creams. His attraction to her is instant, the moment he sets his eyes on her, he is struck by cupids arrow but fate and her mother seems to be against their relationship and he is soon warned off her, but does he take heed? Not on your nelly! I love the whole process of Cohen getting to know River, even though she is deaf and doesn’t speak, except in sign. The little ways she teaches him to communicate with her is so lovely, theirs is an extremely sweet budding romance, I love how he learns more about himself and how to move past his fracture relationship with his mother just by being with River.
Cohen doesn’t have the best relationship with his mother, in fac,t I don’t he really ever has had a great relationship with anyone, he has been known to be incredibly selfish and lost in his own world of pity, self destruct and obviously work. I do think that growing up in a turbulent household with parents who constantly screamed at one and other, then for his father to just up and leave has had a huge impact on Cohen and has moulded him into the man he is, some of it good and some bad. He is a man who has allowed his past and seeing his parents volatile relationship dictate how he leads his own life, which unfortunately did entail in his going down the; ‘oh, pity me’ and selfish path.
This is written entirely through Cohen’s point of view, which I thought was a refreshing change, true that does mean we don’t get a real insight into River’s thoughts except, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have an insight into her. I love how she says so much with not a single word, with her little touches, her patience in teaching him sign and their little written messages, I love how without a single word she seems to sense what is going on and what he needs, even if that is a tub of ice cream.
I really liked this! I love how Cohen goes from a melancholic grump who is a little immature, to a sensitive and loving man who has thrown himself into rebuilding his if, his relationship with his mother and learning about River, I really, really liked that turnaround with him.
The is the perfect seasonal cosy and feel-good story, it’s beautifully written and full of festive cheer – plus some delicious ice cream, honestly I am in pure heaven!
November 23, 2019
I've read quite a few romances now (after starting to enjoy them quite late on) and this is the first one that features Judaism and Hanukkah. I really enjoyed the change. Cohen is in London to avoid his mother, dealing with the death of his father and end of his marriage and he's quite miserable. Going to Greenwich (one of my favourite places) to drop off an overdue birthday present to his mother's best friend he meets River and falls hopelessly in love and everything moves quite quickly after that.
He starts to re-evaluate his life and the way people view him. River is deaf and teaches him how to view the world from her perspective. In between we have the run up to both Hanukkah and Christmas. There's a lovely mix of religions, some observed and some lapsed and I loved the positive focus on the deaf community and how it does not need to hold you back. The book has some strong messages in that respect by simply showcasing River as strong, independent woman running her own business.
I loved the questionnaire. I think I might need to start doing that myself when meeting new people. And don't get me started on craving ice cream in December! I've never been so happy to find half a tub in the freezer after finishing this book. I also enjoyed the fact that for once we have something purely from the hero POV.
It's magical, it's heartwarming. I couldn't put it down. A wonderful story for the festive holidays
He starts to re-evaluate his life and the way people view him. River is deaf and teaches him how to view the world from her perspective. In between we have the run up to both Hanukkah and Christmas. There's a lovely mix of religions, some observed and some lapsed and I loved the positive focus on the deaf community and how it does not need to hold you back. The book has some strong messages in that respect by simply showcasing River as strong, independent woman running her own business.
I loved the questionnaire. I think I might need to start doing that myself when meeting new people. And don't get me started on craving ice cream in December! I've never been so happy to find half a tub in the freezer after finishing this book. I also enjoyed the fact that for once we have something purely from the hero POV.
It's magical, it's heartwarming. I couldn't put it down. A wonderful story for the festive holidays
December 8, 2019
This was a cute love story which was told from the man's POV
Cohen was a workaholic who had come to the Greenwich Ice Creamery on an errand for his mother where he met River. It was quite an attraction between the two. But River was deaf and it was now upto to Cohen to learn and speak the sign language to proclaim and prove his love for her. Both the seems of mothers didn't want the relationship initially. So the stakes were high for Cohen.
My first book by author Sharon Ibbotson, it was quite a cute read. Cohen was interesting and he grew over the pages. I liked how the author showed me his transformation. Love really makes us forget the world and do anything for our beloved.
Cohen soon matured and it was nice to see the relationship with his mother become stronger. I didn't know much about Hanukkah, so this was a different theme for me too. The backdrop abd descriptions felt real. Since this was completely from Cohen's POV, I didn't know much about River's thoughts. But her actions spoke louder and made me realize that she too loved him.
Overall it was a sweet read, where it soon became obvious that love didn't need language or words. It just needed 2 loving hearts to reside in.
Cohen was a workaholic who had come to the Greenwich Ice Creamery on an errand for his mother where he met River. It was quite an attraction between the two. But River was deaf and it was now upto to Cohen to learn and speak the sign language to proclaim and prove his love for her. Both the seems of mothers didn't want the relationship initially. So the stakes were high for Cohen.
My first book by author Sharon Ibbotson, it was quite a cute read. Cohen was interesting and he grew over the pages. I liked how the author showed me his transformation. Love really makes us forget the world and do anything for our beloved.
Cohen soon matured and it was nice to see the relationship with his mother become stronger. I didn't know much about Hanukkah, so this was a different theme for me too. The backdrop abd descriptions felt real. Since this was completely from Cohen's POV, I didn't know much about River's thoughts. But her actions spoke louder and made me realize that she too loved him.
Overall it was a sweet read, where it soon became obvious that love didn't need language or words. It just needed 2 loving hearts to reside in.
November 27, 2019
I had no idea what to expect going into this book, I've never read anything by this author before, and rarely see a Hanukkah romance, let alone read one.
So all around I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this story.
I loved the concept of the romance between Cohen and River.
Cohen is the Jewish man who is a workaholic, and has a patchy relationship with his mother. He's been known to be rather selfish in the past
But that all changes the day he meets River, who is serving at the ice creamery, who he cant really initially communicate with, but realises instantly that she's someone special.
We get to see just how they get to communicate, and how international the language of love can be.
I also enjoyed getting to know more of Cohen's past, as it shaped the man he is today.
This book touches on important topics and one of Rivers key attributes is so vital to the whole story, but I feel it is best read without any preconceptions about her.
I can't not mention how delicious the ice creams were sounding even though it did feel weird reading about ice cream in winter.
There are elements if Judaism throughout and it didn't feel completely stereotypical. I was also delighted to see a few words of Yiddish in there too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the writing was great and I found the pages were turning a bit too fast. I would have loved to read more but it did have a perfect ending.
Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
So all around I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this story.
I loved the concept of the romance between Cohen and River.
Cohen is the Jewish man who is a workaholic, and has a patchy relationship with his mother. He's been known to be rather selfish in the past
But that all changes the day he meets River, who is serving at the ice creamery, who he cant really initially communicate with, but realises instantly that she's someone special.
We get to see just how they get to communicate, and how international the language of love can be.
I also enjoyed getting to know more of Cohen's past, as it shaped the man he is today.
This book touches on important topics and one of Rivers key attributes is so vital to the whole story, but I feel it is best read without any preconceptions about her.
I can't not mention how delicious the ice creams were sounding even though it did feel weird reading about ice cream in winter.
There are elements if Judaism throughout and it didn't feel completely stereotypical. I was also delighted to see a few words of Yiddish in there too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the writing was great and I found the pages were turning a bit too fast. I would have loved to read more but it did have a perfect ending.
Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
July 20, 2020
If you are looking for a festive romance but like you characters a little less typical then this is a novel you are going to love!
Cohen is a workaholic and is deeply unhappy for a variety of reasons. On an errand into Greenwich to drop off a gift, he meets River. River is deaf and works in the Ice creamery. Abandoned by her birth parents and made deaf by meningitis, River has no luck in the romance department, that is until Cohen enters her life. Captivated by River, Cohen visits the Ice creamery daily to learn more about her and a romance blossoms. Can she push through his barriers and melt his frosty exterior?
My favourite aspect of this book is the combination of the two religions. There are so many books involving Christmas (I’m not complaining because I love them) and it is really refreshing to read one with a different perspective but also I loved how Hanukkah and Christmas were combined and dually celebrated within the plot. The setting may have been dreary London in the Winter but the vibe from this story is nothing but heartwarming and vibrant.
Both the main characters have been written with care and great though has been given to their back stories and their personalities. It’s hard to go into the characters fully as I feel the details about them are integral to the story and it would add spoilers but they really do snuggle into your heart.
This is such a heartwarming and delightful story with a colourful mix of traditions and celebrations. I’ll definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
Cohen is a workaholic and is deeply unhappy for a variety of reasons. On an errand into Greenwich to drop off a gift, he meets River. River is deaf and works in the Ice creamery. Abandoned by her birth parents and made deaf by meningitis, River has no luck in the romance department, that is until Cohen enters her life. Captivated by River, Cohen visits the Ice creamery daily to learn more about her and a romance blossoms. Can she push through his barriers and melt his frosty exterior?
My favourite aspect of this book is the combination of the two religions. There are so many books involving Christmas (I’m not complaining because I love them) and it is really refreshing to read one with a different perspective but also I loved how Hanukkah and Christmas were combined and dually celebrated within the plot. The setting may have been dreary London in the Winter but the vibe from this story is nothing but heartwarming and vibrant.
Both the main characters have been written with care and great though has been given to their back stories and their personalities. It’s hard to go into the characters fully as I feel the details about them are integral to the story and it would add spoilers but they really do snuggle into your heart.
This is such a heartwarming and delightful story with a colourful mix of traditions and celebrations. I’ll definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
December 8, 2022
Cohen Ford's life is beyond perfect despite the high-paying job, luxurious townhome, and condo.
Ford recently experienced a horrible divorce and has struggled with a dysfunctional relationship with his mother. His cynicism melts away when he meets River, a young London woman who owns an ice creamery. Through River, Cohen learns what it is to love, forgive, and grow up. I loved the inclusion of the deaf community and BSL that weaves throughout the book, just like the beautiful ice cream flavors.
Overall, a lovely romance and not overly saccharine or loin-pulsing.
I recommend this story to fans of holiday romances.
⭐⭐⭐1/2
Ford recently experienced a horrible divorce and has struggled with a dysfunctional relationship with his mother. His cynicism melts away when he meets River, a young London woman who owns an ice creamery. Through River, Cohen learns what it is to love, forgive, and grow up. I loved the inclusion of the deaf community and BSL that weaves throughout the book, just like the beautiful ice cream flavors.
Overall, a lovely romance and not overly saccharine or loin-pulsing.
I recommend this story to fans of holiday romances.
⭐⭐⭐1/2
January 12, 2023
Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.
Steamier than I thought it would be for how short the book is but that's just fantastic.
The plot, the characters, the steam....loved it all.
Steamier than I thought it would be for how short the book is but that's just fantastic.
The plot, the characters, the steam....loved it all.
December 10, 2019
A delicious romantic treat of a read!! And told from the male point of view which was just a wonderful twist and added so much to a touching story - and has left me craving ice cream more than ever!!
Cohen is an American working in London. His mother has asked him to deliver a present to an old friend, so he visits her at the Ice Cream shop and immediately becomes captivated by the mysterious River who he meets there. She's not like any woman he's ever met before and it's going to take something special to win her over as he has to find a different way to communicate with her as she's deaf. Her deafness has never stopped her living life, but has left her mother very over protective of her as she's been hurt in the past, so she's not too impressed by Cohen when she finds out he's been visiting the shop every Tuesday just to spend time with River.
Cohen has suffered heartbreak in the past, his wife has left him and is looking to take him to the cleaners and he never has really had a deep connection with a woman. It's all been superficial to him - his life revolves around work so he's always been keen to show off his wealth, and that attracts a certain kind of woman! And that is the total opposite to River who is a wonderful soul and she gets him to open up in ways he's never done before. She's better than any of the highly paid therapists he's had over the years in getting through to him and making him realise just what it is he wants out of life.
I found this to be such a wonderful read and was totally captivated by River and Cohen and how their connection develops. It's a book that touches on faith, families and relationships and shows a different side to a romantic story. How the art of listening becomes so powerful to people and words can become meaningless.
River gives Cohen a different way of thinking about his own life and I loved seeing how his whole outlook changes by experiencing life away from the focus of work and himself! I had all the feels for this book and highly recommend it!
Cohen is an American working in London. His mother has asked him to deliver a present to an old friend, so he visits her at the Ice Cream shop and immediately becomes captivated by the mysterious River who he meets there. She's not like any woman he's ever met before and it's going to take something special to win her over as he has to find a different way to communicate with her as she's deaf. Her deafness has never stopped her living life, but has left her mother very over protective of her as she's been hurt in the past, so she's not too impressed by Cohen when she finds out he's been visiting the shop every Tuesday just to spend time with River.
Cohen has suffered heartbreak in the past, his wife has left him and is looking to take him to the cleaners and he never has really had a deep connection with a woman. It's all been superficial to him - his life revolves around work so he's always been keen to show off his wealth, and that attracts a certain kind of woman! And that is the total opposite to River who is a wonderful soul and she gets him to open up in ways he's never done before. She's better than any of the highly paid therapists he's had over the years in getting through to him and making him realise just what it is he wants out of life.
I found this to be such a wonderful read and was totally captivated by River and Cohen and how their connection develops. It's a book that touches on faith, families and relationships and shows a different side to a romantic story. How the art of listening becomes so powerful to people and words can become meaningless.
River gives Cohen a different way of thinking about his own life and I loved seeing how his whole outlook changes by experiencing life away from the focus of work and himself! I had all the feels for this book and highly recommend it!
December 5, 2019
I love stories that push boundaries and are original, this is one of those reads. Often we, as a society, stick to the rigid “right thing to do” or do what we are told by our parents without question. Nothing is sweeter than the fruit of forbidden love, especially when the normal route of communication is closed. If each one of us actually took time to “read” people’s body language I believe some people would like their new found self and work hard to change.
Love knows no boundaries and love will always find a way, and very often broken bridges can be mended if everyone involved will work on their attitude and manners to become a better version of themselves no matter how hurt or how much pain they have experienced.
This timeless book ticked all my boxes and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it
Love knows no boundaries and love will always find a way, and very often broken bridges can be mended if everyone involved will work on their attitude and manners to become a better version of themselves no matter how hurt or how much pain they have experienced.
This timeless book ticked all my boxes and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it
June 22, 2023
The book was not easy to read and all of the characters did not portray Jewish people in a very good light and they did not make the characters very likeable. The way in which they were written made the whole relationship feel very forced and very superficial, with the main character falling in love without there actually being much substance between them.
The only reason I gave it two stars is because the storyline seemed appealing and there are not a lot of stories which related to Jewish community so that was a big aspect of why I decided to read the piece.
The only reason I gave it two stars is because the storyline seemed appealing and there are not a lot of stories which related to Jewish community so that was a big aspect of why I decided to read the piece.
January 28, 2020
A bonbon of a holiday romance that contains echoes of the redemption of Dickens' Scrooge. American Cohen Ford, sent to deliver a birthday present to a friend of his mother's while working overseas in London, falls hard for the friend's daughter, River, the manager of the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery. That River is deaf and Cohen knows no sign language, and that River's mother knows from reports from Cohen's mother that Cohen is not a good son or a nice man and warns him off from her daughter, don't daunt Cohen. He comes to the creamery every Tuesday, when he knows that River's mom is off teaching, to indulge his sudden fascination with a woman who is all sweetness and light to his bitter darkness.
The story is told entirely from Cohen's point of view, and since both Cohen and River fall for one another at first sight, this could have veered off into magic pixie dream girl territory. But both recognize the necessity of getting to know one another, too, even while they embrace the wonder of sudden love.
It's to Ibbotson's credit as a writer that she can make the reader feel sympathy for Cohen, a man who even he himself acknowledges is not the nicest of persons. By showing readers Cohen's vulnerabilities and past hurts and the non-traumatic but still painful reasons for his estrangement from his strong-willed Jewish mother, as well as the unexpected joy of his free fall into love-at-first-sight with River, she leads readers to embrace this Hanukkah Scrooge and root for his "growing up" from selfish and self-involved to openly loving and giving, not just to River, but to others whom he has wronged, and who have wronged him.
I did wonder if it wouldn't be better if
I really enjoyed not only the story, but Ibbotson's prose, which goes a long way towards conveying character as well as story:
"It was, he suddenly realised, the smell of his childhood. And that, to Cohen, was intolerable. It was one thing to be assaulted by the door frame. But to be assaulted by a memory? He wouldn't have it." (Kindle Loc 78)
The story is told entirely from Cohen's point of view, and since both Cohen and River fall for one another at first sight, this could have veered off into magic pixie dream girl territory. But both recognize the necessity of getting to know one another, too, even while they embrace the wonder of sudden love.
It's to Ibbotson's credit as a writer that she can make the reader feel sympathy for Cohen, a man who even he himself acknowledges is not the nicest of persons. By showing readers Cohen's vulnerabilities and past hurts and the non-traumatic but still painful reasons for his estrangement from his strong-willed Jewish mother, as well as the unexpected joy of his free fall into love-at-first-sight with River, she leads readers to embrace this Hanukkah Scrooge and root for his "growing up" from selfish and self-involved to openly loving and giving, not just to River, but to others whom he has wronged, and who have wronged him.
I did wonder if it wouldn't be better if
I really enjoyed not only the story, but Ibbotson's prose, which goes a long way towards conveying character as well as story:
"It was, he suddenly realised, the smell of his childhood. And that, to Cohen, was intolerable. It was one thing to be assaulted by the door frame. But to be assaulted by a memory? He wouldn't have it." (Kindle Loc 78)
December 20, 2022
This book didn't delivered on Hanukkah, Greenwich or icecream ( spoiler is really gelato).
Maybe I'm being too harsh. I have come to realized that contemporary holiday romance is not really my thing, but also taking that into consideration I gave it 1 starts.
If you are looking for holiday romance it definitely has that.l, but that's about it.
I listen to the audion book and honestly I was ready to dnf it from chapter one where it seemed like everyone was screaming at each other for no reason, but after giving it a chance, I wished I hadn't.
We have Asian characters that are so stereotyped in the way they interacted with the main character. We also have a hard of hearing character and that is basically her only trait, well, she also does the Gelato, but they keep calling it icecream so it's like they couldn't decide which one it was.
The main character is a sad rich white man with lots of issues, who is extremely superficial and it seems to only be interested in the main girl because she is attractive.
He speaks horribly about other characters, specially his ex wife, making him not sympathetic at all, and he seems to be a jerk to his mom and coworkers so really there is no redeemable quality about him.
Why everything works out at the end for him, God only knows, I guess because the main character needs a happy ending even though he's horrible and has had no personal growth.
The good thing about this book is that it was short and I didn't had to spend days with this guy.
Maybe I'm being too harsh. I have come to realized that contemporary holiday romance is not really my thing, but also taking that into consideration I gave it 1 starts.
If you are looking for holiday romance it definitely has that.l, but that's about it.
I listen to the audion book and honestly I was ready to dnf it from chapter one where it seemed like everyone was screaming at each other for no reason, but after giving it a chance, I wished I hadn't.
We have Asian characters that are so stereotyped in the way they interacted with the main character. We also have a hard of hearing character and that is basically her only trait, well, she also does the Gelato, but they keep calling it icecream so it's like they couldn't decide which one it was.
The main character is a sad rich white man with lots of issues, who is extremely superficial and it seems to only be interested in the main girl because she is attractive.
He speaks horribly about other characters, specially his ex wife, making him not sympathetic at all, and he seems to be a jerk to his mom and coworkers so really there is no redeemable quality about him.
Why everything works out at the end for him, God only knows, I guess because the main character needs a happy ending even though he's horrible and has had no personal growth.
The good thing about this book is that it was short and I didn't had to spend days with this guy.
December 19, 2020
I listened to this while doing laundry. Trying to get into the upcoming holiday season. But man this was bad. It's so insta-lovey and the relationship goes so fast that I as a reader didn't get invested. In three weeks and as many dates, three that is, the main character just totally changes his life. Because he just wants to be happy. What the hell?
I read romance and chic lit all the time but this was too much. I picked this without knowing anything, it came up as a holiday romance in my audio book app. If I read about this I would probably not have picked this. This is just a big no.
I don't even want to get into more why, my face kept doing weird expressions while listening to this. And I'm kind of sad that I didn't turn this off at the first sign that it wasn't for me..
I read romance and chic lit all the time but this was too much. I picked this without knowing anything, it came up as a holiday romance in my audio book app. If I read about this I would probably not have picked this. This is just a big no.
I don't even want to get into more why, my face kept doing weird expressions while listening to this. And I'm kind of sad that I didn't turn this off at the first sign that it wasn't for me..
December 13, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality
I picked this book because it was a Hanukkah romance – and there are entirely too few of them. There a oodles of Xmas romances – and they are often quite lovely – but it’s always nice to see oneself and one’s own culture represented in stories.
There wasn’t quite as much Hanukkah as I was hoping for, but there were plenty of the mixed feelings associated with being Jewish in the midst of what feels like the entire universe celebrating an entirely different holiday.
And the romance that begins at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is definitely a sweet and delicious scoop of love at first sight – with strawberry ice cream on top..
Cohen Ford comes to the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery not long before the holidays because, frankly, he’s been guilted into it by his mother. But he keeps coming back because he’s fallen in love with the daughter of the proprietor – and can’t keep away no matter how much her mother disapproves, both of him and of any possibility of a relationship between the disappointing son of one of her oldest and dearest friends and her daughter, who is deaf.
Men have taken advantage of River de Luca before, and her mother is determined to prevent it this time. Because she’s heard all about Cohen Ford from his mother and is just certain that her friend’s cold-hearted, self-centered, disappointment of a son is definitely the wrong man for her daughter. Not that she believes that any man is good enough for her daughter.
But Cohen and River fall in love the moment they meet – when she’s bandaging him up because he banged his head on their door. And even through their communication barrier – they manage to convey to each other that they are both on the exact same page – even if they’re both in the middle of scribbling on that page as fast as they can so they can learn everything they need to know about each other. Which is everything.
That Cohen is supposed to leave London in a few short weeks to return to his high-pressure job and empty life in New York is just one more obstacle that they have to overcome.
In the end, Cohen’s choice is easy – and River’s has already been made. Home is where the heart is – and his is with River.
Escape Rating A-: Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery turned out to be a holiday story with just the right mix of flavors. It’s sweet with just a bit of bitter and salt, like the best dark chocolate with sea salt sprinkles.
The sweet comes from the romance itself. The bitter comes from Cohen, and his memories of his childhood with his feuding and often absent parents. There are deep wounds there that he has to get over before he can move forward with River. The salt is from tears, tears of grief that Cohen never healed his relationship with his father, and tears of joy that he does finally set himself on the road to healing his strained relationship with his mother.
I do feel the need to say OMG – or perhaps oy vey – about the stereotype that is Cohen’s mother. And as much as I want to make negative comments about the stereotyping, she’s a bit too much like my own mother for me to make that claim. I want to and I just can’t. It made a bit of hard reading, but in the end it felt right – and made me wish for things that are no longer possible.
Returning to Cohen and River and their holiday romance. I’m not totally sure this needed to be a holiday romance. Usually the holiday trope is used to compress the time available for the story to move quickly from meeting to loving to HEA. But Cohen’s impending return to New York created that same tension. On the other hand, the Hanukkah season added poignancy to Cohen’s reconciliation with his mother.
In the end, this story has two wonderful threads running through it. One is the holiday romance, which was lovely every step of the way. The way that they reach towards each other and find ways to communicate and to get on the same page in spite of their very real communication issues was very well done.
But the other thread was all Cohen. He comes into the story as Scrooge, cutting himself off from all emotion and living for his well-paid but soul-destroying job. This story is his journey. He needs to grow up and learn what he really wants to be when he grows up. He needs to learn to live his own dream instead of somebody else’s. The spirits don’t do it all in one night. But they do manage it all the same.
I picked this book because it was a Hanukkah romance – and there are entirely too few of them. There a oodles of Xmas romances – and they are often quite lovely – but it’s always nice to see oneself and one’s own culture represented in stories.
There wasn’t quite as much Hanukkah as I was hoping for, but there were plenty of the mixed feelings associated with being Jewish in the midst of what feels like the entire universe celebrating an entirely different holiday.
And the romance that begins at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is definitely a sweet and delicious scoop of love at first sight – with strawberry ice cream on top..
Cohen Ford comes to the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery not long before the holidays because, frankly, he’s been guilted into it by his mother. But he keeps coming back because he’s fallen in love with the daughter of the proprietor – and can’t keep away no matter how much her mother disapproves, both of him and of any possibility of a relationship between the disappointing son of one of her oldest and dearest friends and her daughter, who is deaf.
Men have taken advantage of River de Luca before, and her mother is determined to prevent it this time. Because she’s heard all about Cohen Ford from his mother and is just certain that her friend’s cold-hearted, self-centered, disappointment of a son is definitely the wrong man for her daughter. Not that she believes that any man is good enough for her daughter.
But Cohen and River fall in love the moment they meet – when she’s bandaging him up because he banged his head on their door. And even through their communication barrier – they manage to convey to each other that they are both on the exact same page – even if they’re both in the middle of scribbling on that page as fast as they can so they can learn everything they need to know about each other. Which is everything.
That Cohen is supposed to leave London in a few short weeks to return to his high-pressure job and empty life in New York is just one more obstacle that they have to overcome.
In the end, Cohen’s choice is easy – and River’s has already been made. Home is where the heart is – and his is with River.
Escape Rating A-: Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery turned out to be a holiday story with just the right mix of flavors. It’s sweet with just a bit of bitter and salt, like the best dark chocolate with sea salt sprinkles.
The sweet comes from the romance itself. The bitter comes from Cohen, and his memories of his childhood with his feuding and often absent parents. There are deep wounds there that he has to get over before he can move forward with River. The salt is from tears, tears of grief that Cohen never healed his relationship with his father, and tears of joy that he does finally set himself on the road to healing his strained relationship with his mother.
I do feel the need to say OMG – or perhaps oy vey – about the stereotype that is Cohen’s mother. And as much as I want to make negative comments about the stereotyping, she’s a bit too much like my own mother for me to make that claim. I want to and I just can’t. It made a bit of hard reading, but in the end it felt right – and made me wish for things that are no longer possible.
Returning to Cohen and River and their holiday romance. I’m not totally sure this needed to be a holiday romance. Usually the holiday trope is used to compress the time available for the story to move quickly from meeting to loving to HEA. But Cohen’s impending return to New York created that same tension. On the other hand, the Hanukkah season added poignancy to Cohen’s reconciliation with his mother.
In the end, this story has two wonderful threads running through it. One is the holiday romance, which was lovely every step of the way. The way that they reach towards each other and find ways to communicate and to get on the same page in spite of their very real communication issues was very well done.
But the other thread was all Cohen. He comes into the story as Scrooge, cutting himself off from all emotion and living for his well-paid but soul-destroying job. This story is his journey. He needs to grow up and learn what he really wants to be when he grows up. He needs to learn to live his own dream instead of somebody else’s. The spirits don’t do it all in one night. But they do manage it all the same.
December 14, 2019
There are books that fall into your life with little fanfare and end up being absolute treasures. For me, this December, one of those books is Sharon Ibbotson’s Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery, which is a romance told in food and shared stories.
It’s the structure of the novel that struck me first. Each chapter is headed by a word – usually a food item, but not always – and then the chapter builds to include that word. Sometimes that inclusion is offhand, other times it’s extremely important – in “Apple” for example, our romantic lead, Cohen Ford, learns the BSL sign for “apple,” from his love interest, Rachel, a deaf woman who was adopted as a young girl by his mother’s close friend. The keywords are important, but the chapters feel so organic that everything flows perfectly.
Then there’s the ice cream – the different flavors serve to punctuate the emotions of each character… another bit of craft that I admire Ibbotson for doing so, so well.
Of course, this novel isn’t just a romance. It’s a piece about mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons, those early relationships that color all our lives, and influence our choices long into our adulthoods.
While I began the novel not really liking Cohen Ford, I grew to appreciate him. His growth in this novel is exponential, and mostly self-directed. River may be his muse (of a sort), but he did the hard work, the internal work, himself, turning into a character I would love to follow into a future novel.
I also appreciated the way the author incorporated the use of sign into the piece. Any kind of foreign language or dialect can be tricky to depict, but Ibbotson did a fabulous job of incorporating descriptions of British Sign Language (some of which confused me, because it’s SO different from American Sign Language, which I’m not fluent in, but recognize and get the gist of).
While Cohen is the main character (and kudos to the author for writing a romance from the male POV), River, her mother Rushi, and Cohen’s mother Esther are all equally dynamic. Having spent a chunk of my life with a Jewish (step)grandmother, I found Esther’s cadences so familiar. She isn’t a stereotype by any means, but she’s very much a Jewish mother, despite her career and remarriage being less-than-typical.
I also liked the character of Billy a lot… this hearing father of a deaf son is the kind of parent every kid should have, and he acted as a sort of interpreter for Cohen and River, not only literally, but also translating their emotions. Everyone needs a family friend like Billy.
The pacing of this book was just right, neither super-fast nor mind-numbingly slow, and at times, when one of the characters was relating a memory, the language was almost lyrical.
And then there’s the delight of a novel that mixes Hanukkah and Christmas themes into a single story without it becoming us vs. them.
This is a much deeper novel than the back cover blurb implies, and I recommend it to everyone looking for a holiday read.
Goes well with: strawberry ice cream or melon gelato. You choose.
It’s the structure of the novel that struck me first. Each chapter is headed by a word – usually a food item, but not always – and then the chapter builds to include that word. Sometimes that inclusion is offhand, other times it’s extremely important – in “Apple” for example, our romantic lead, Cohen Ford, learns the BSL sign for “apple,” from his love interest, Rachel, a deaf woman who was adopted as a young girl by his mother’s close friend. The keywords are important, but the chapters feel so organic that everything flows perfectly.
Then there’s the ice cream – the different flavors serve to punctuate the emotions of each character… another bit of craft that I admire Ibbotson for doing so, so well.
Of course, this novel isn’t just a romance. It’s a piece about mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons, those early relationships that color all our lives, and influence our choices long into our adulthoods.
While I began the novel not really liking Cohen Ford, I grew to appreciate him. His growth in this novel is exponential, and mostly self-directed. River may be his muse (of a sort), but he did the hard work, the internal work, himself, turning into a character I would love to follow into a future novel.
I also appreciated the way the author incorporated the use of sign into the piece. Any kind of foreign language or dialect can be tricky to depict, but Ibbotson did a fabulous job of incorporating descriptions of British Sign Language (some of which confused me, because it’s SO different from American Sign Language, which I’m not fluent in, but recognize and get the gist of).
While Cohen is the main character (and kudos to the author for writing a romance from the male POV), River, her mother Rushi, and Cohen’s mother Esther are all equally dynamic. Having spent a chunk of my life with a Jewish (step)grandmother, I found Esther’s cadences so familiar. She isn’t a stereotype by any means, but she’s very much a Jewish mother, despite her career and remarriage being less-than-typical.
I also liked the character of Billy a lot… this hearing father of a deaf son is the kind of parent every kid should have, and he acted as a sort of interpreter for Cohen and River, not only literally, but also translating their emotions. Everyone needs a family friend like Billy.
The pacing of this book was just right, neither super-fast nor mind-numbingly slow, and at times, when one of the characters was relating a memory, the language was almost lyrical.
And then there’s the delight of a novel that mixes Hanukkah and Christmas themes into a single story without it becoming us vs. them.
This is a much deeper novel than the back cover blurb implies, and I recommend it to everyone looking for a holiday read.
Goes well with: strawberry ice cream or melon gelato. You choose.
December 11, 2019
Oh my word, I was attracted to this book from the beautifully purple cover alone and the mention of ice cream in the title sealed the deal as it were. What can I say, my favourite colour is purple and I would eat ice cream by the bucketload if I could. That's enough about me. The synopsis of this book screamed 'you need to read this book like now!!' So I did what I was told, grabbed a cup of tea in one hand and sat down with my Kindle in the other and began to read. I absolutely loved reading 'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' but more about that in a bit.
This book came along at the right time for me. I was feeling a bit down in the dumps and I needed to read a light hearted, romantic story, which would distract me from whatever it was I was worrying about. This book certainly did that and then some. It took me next to no time to get into this delightful read. In fact as I mentioned before the cover grabbed my attention, the mention of ice cream made me open the front cover and the quality of the story made me read this delightful book in one day, although I did have to break off occasionally to go and get some ice cream!! I was completely absorbed by the story and reading 'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' definitely became an addiction and it was an addiction that I wasn't willing to break. I didn't realise the speed with which I was getting through the story until I looked up to check the time and I realised that I had read over half of the book. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had anticipated or expected. I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters, all the mentions of ice cream and the storylines so much that I just didn't want the story to end.
'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' is brilliantly written. This is the first of Sharon's books that I have had the pleasure of reading, but it certainly won't be the last. I absolutely LOVED this book. Sharon certainly knows how to draw the reader into the story and then some. Through her awesome writing, Sharon seemed to almost hypnotise me and once she had my attention, she didn't let it go until I reached the end off the book. She writes so convincingly and uses such vivid descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself. In fact I was most upset that the ice creamery as described in this book wasn't real and that the characters weren't real and I wasn't part of the story. I loved the characters, I loved the storylines, I loved Sharon's writing style and in fact I just LOVED everything about this delightful read.
In short, I ADORED reading 'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' and I would definitely recommend this fabulous book to other readers. The only thing is this book made me want ice cream and Ben & Jerry's made huge profits thanks to me and this book. I will definitely be reading more of Sharon's books in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
This book came along at the right time for me. I was feeling a bit down in the dumps and I needed to read a light hearted, romantic story, which would distract me from whatever it was I was worrying about. This book certainly did that and then some. It took me next to no time to get into this delightful read. In fact as I mentioned before the cover grabbed my attention, the mention of ice cream made me open the front cover and the quality of the story made me read this delightful book in one day, although I did have to break off occasionally to go and get some ice cream!! I was completely absorbed by the story and reading 'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' definitely became an addiction and it was an addiction that I wasn't willing to break. I didn't realise the speed with which I was getting through the story until I looked up to check the time and I realised that I had read over half of the book. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had anticipated or expected. I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters, all the mentions of ice cream and the storylines so much that I just didn't want the story to end.
'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' is brilliantly written. This is the first of Sharon's books that I have had the pleasure of reading, but it certainly won't be the last. I absolutely LOVED this book. Sharon certainly knows how to draw the reader into the story and then some. Through her awesome writing, Sharon seemed to almost hypnotise me and once she had my attention, she didn't let it go until I reached the end off the book. She writes so convincingly and uses such vivid descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself. In fact I was most upset that the ice creamery as described in this book wasn't real and that the characters weren't real and I wasn't part of the story. I loved the characters, I loved the storylines, I loved Sharon's writing style and in fact I just LOVED everything about this delightful read.
In short, I ADORED reading 'Hanukkah At The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery' and I would definitely recommend this fabulous book to other readers. The only thing is this book made me want ice cream and Ben & Jerry's made huge profits thanks to me and this book. I will definitely be reading more of Sharon's books in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
December 9, 2019
I don’t buy into any of that ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ nonsense. Who wouldn’t be lured by the gorgeous cover of this book?! It hints at all the tantalising delights hidden inside!
Cohen Ford has come to London to lick his wounds. He’s upset at the death of his father, but more than that, he’s angry with himself for not being with his dad at the end of his life and feeling like he’s not the son that he should have been. Linked to that is his complicated relationship with his mother Esther, coupled with childhood memories of his Uncle Israel, something that’s not even worth contemplating! And he’s still bitter about the end of his marriage to Christine, who he knows he shouldn’t have married in the first place! So he’s trying to separate his feelings and attempting to figure out what exactly he’s angry about – the marriage that shouldn’t have happened, the way that it ended, or the fact that Christine isn’t a very nice person, and brought out the worst in him.
So he’s decided to take some time away from all that’s familiar, and while he’s in London, goes to visit her old friend Rushi, who is like an old aunt who he remembers from childhood. She owns an ice cream shop – a creamery – and when he finally finds the place he finds familiarity in the way Rushi lambastes him for his reckless, irresponsible behaviour. She bases her opinions on what she’s heard from his mother as she hasn’t actually seen Cohen in years! But not only does he find the warmth of this comfortable scolding, but he also meets River, Rushi’s adopted daughter who also happens to be deaf.
Cohen’s entire world spins off his axis as for the first time he learns what it means to truly care for someone else. He’s always been somewhat self-absorbed but now he wants to give of himself completely selflessly. He just needs to convince those who know him best that he’s for real!
This is an endearing love story told through … of all things … ice cream flavours! You’ll find yourself asking: What does the word ‘home’ really mean to you? Is it a place; a person; a feeling? I thoroughly enjoyed following Cohen and River’s journey, but found that it was Cohen’s acknowledgment and coming to terms with himself that I enjoyed the most. River was a strong character from the beginning. She had a solid sense of her identity, knowing who she was from the start – Cohen needed her help to discover his own, he just didn’t know it. After all, why would a confident 6 foot 2, CEO in his 30’s need the help of a deaf ice-cream maker to find his place in the world?
Salvation comes when you least expect it, from the most unexpected people, when you don’t even know you need it!
This is a warm and fuzzy 4-star read that’s perfect for the holiday season!
Cohen Ford has come to London to lick his wounds. He’s upset at the death of his father, but more than that, he’s angry with himself for not being with his dad at the end of his life and feeling like he’s not the son that he should have been. Linked to that is his complicated relationship with his mother Esther, coupled with childhood memories of his Uncle Israel, something that’s not even worth contemplating! And he’s still bitter about the end of his marriage to Christine, who he knows he shouldn’t have married in the first place! So he’s trying to separate his feelings and attempting to figure out what exactly he’s angry about – the marriage that shouldn’t have happened, the way that it ended, or the fact that Christine isn’t a very nice person, and brought out the worst in him.
So he’s decided to take some time away from all that’s familiar, and while he’s in London, goes to visit her old friend Rushi, who is like an old aunt who he remembers from childhood. She owns an ice cream shop – a creamery – and when he finally finds the place he finds familiarity in the way Rushi lambastes him for his reckless, irresponsible behaviour. She bases her opinions on what she’s heard from his mother as she hasn’t actually seen Cohen in years! But not only does he find the warmth of this comfortable scolding, but he also meets River, Rushi’s adopted daughter who also happens to be deaf.
Cohen’s entire world spins off his axis as for the first time he learns what it means to truly care for someone else. He’s always been somewhat self-absorbed but now he wants to give of himself completely selflessly. He just needs to convince those who know him best that he’s for real!
This is an endearing love story told through … of all things … ice cream flavours! You’ll find yourself asking: What does the word ‘home’ really mean to you? Is it a place; a person; a feeling? I thoroughly enjoyed following Cohen and River’s journey, but found that it was Cohen’s acknowledgment and coming to terms with himself that I enjoyed the most. River was a strong character from the beginning. She had a solid sense of her identity, knowing who she was from the start – Cohen needed her help to discover his own, he just didn’t know it. After all, why would a confident 6 foot 2, CEO in his 30’s need the help of a deaf ice-cream maker to find his place in the world?
Salvation comes when you least expect it, from the most unexpected people, when you don’t even know you need it!
This is a warm and fuzzy 4-star read that’s perfect for the holiday season!
March 21, 2020
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
Who says it has to be wintertime to enjoy a fun, sweet holiday treat? Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is a sweet, funny, and touching romantic adventure for one very stoic man and one intriguing woman… proving that our differences don’t have to keep us apart but can, in fact, draw us closer to each other, especially when they fit so well together.
Take one disillusioned, bitter American, plop him down in London where his scrooge-like personality seems to fit and have him meet, quite by chance, one deaf woman who is an amazing creator of ice cream flavors with a sparkling personality. Toss in a disapproving mother, an ice cream shop, and a man who is learning who he could be by simply “growing up” through his attraction and interactions with River – and you have one very sweet, emotional romance that is just right any time of the year.
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is told through Cohen’s point of view which I found rather fascinating as both the hero and the reader (me) were challenged by this unique relationship. I adored River, but to be frank, it was Cohen’s growth, his emerging from his bitterness into a man quite worthy of being loved that captured my attention in this story.
River and Cohen’s journey to finding love was just the right read I needed right now. I had fun with their romance and would not hesitate to recommend it to any reader who loves a good, solid romance with interesting characters.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction. 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.*
Who says it has to be wintertime to enjoy a fun, sweet holiday treat? Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is a sweet, funny, and touching romantic adventure for one very stoic man and one intriguing woman… proving that our differences don’t have to keep us apart but can, in fact, draw us closer to each other, especially when they fit so well together.
Take one disillusioned, bitter American, plop him down in London where his scrooge-like personality seems to fit and have him meet, quite by chance, one deaf woman who is an amazing creator of ice cream flavors with a sparkling personality. Toss in a disapproving mother, an ice cream shop, and a man who is learning who he could be by simply “growing up” through his attraction and interactions with River – and you have one very sweet, emotional romance that is just right any time of the year.
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery is told through Cohen’s point of view which I found rather fascinating as both the hero and the reader (me) were challenged by this unique relationship. I adored River, but to be frank, it was Cohen’s growth, his emerging from his bitterness into a man quite worthy of being loved that captured my attention in this story.
River and Cohen’s journey to finding love was just the right read I needed right now. I had fun with their romance and would not hesitate to recommend it to any reader who loves a good, solid romance with interesting characters.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction. 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.*
February 10, 2023
Another book I wanted to like, but wow this was not good. Do not read. Negative stars.
I am 4 chapters in and can't continue.
-Maybe it's the way the mother is a continuous bitch to Cohen
-Maybe it's the way Rushi gatekeeps her daughter's life ("She's not for you" "She'd deaf and can't communicate with you" - if that's the case then 1. why does she run the shop herself on Tuesdays if she can't take any customer orders and 2. haven't you heard of reading & writing? Cohen could LEARN sign language?)
-Maybe it's the callous exposition ("I'd like to see Israel again. After he had his hand blown off in Korea, everyone said he was cracked" YIKES)
-Maybe it's the way River calls her mother "my mama" like a child
-Maybe it's the way this author clearly hates therapists because I can't think of another reason she would write such a blatantly unethical, horrible therapist who judges Cohen HARD after just 1 session, is more of a yogi than a therapist, and HITS ON HIS MOM in their 3rd ever session and clearly discloses private, patient confidential information to the mom after they marry. Someone take this woman's license!
- Maybe it's that Cohen declares his love so quickly? Where is the pining?? The romance? The buildup? The tension??
There is a lot I forgive and overlook in fanfiction, but once it's published I expect a little more. I expect someone to clean up the biases and misinformation and contrived plots.
If you are looking for some wonderful fanfiction-turned-published novel, sadly this isn't it.
I am 4 chapters in and can't continue.
-Maybe it's the way the mother is a continuous bitch to Cohen
-Maybe it's the way Rushi gatekeeps her daughter's life ("She's not for you" "She'd deaf and can't communicate with you" - if that's the case then 1. why does she run the shop herself on Tuesdays if she can't take any customer orders and 2. haven't you heard of reading & writing? Cohen could LEARN sign language?)
-Maybe it's the callous exposition ("I'd like to see Israel again. After he had his hand blown off in Korea, everyone said he was cracked" YIKES)
-Maybe it's the way River calls her mother "my mama" like a child
-Maybe it's the way this author clearly hates therapists because I can't think of another reason she would write such a blatantly unethical, horrible therapist who judges Cohen HARD after just 1 session, is more of a yogi than a therapist, and HITS ON HIS MOM in their 3rd ever session and clearly discloses private, patient confidential information to the mom after they marry. Someone take this woman's license!
- Maybe it's that Cohen declares his love so quickly? Where is the pining?? The romance? The buildup? The tension??
There is a lot I forgive and overlook in fanfiction, but once it's published I expect a little more. I expect someone to clean up the biases and misinformation and contrived plots.
If you are looking for some wonderful fanfiction-turned-published novel, sadly this isn't it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
This was a lovely story. I wasn't sure at the start, but as soon as Cohen walked into the ice cream shop and saw River, I was hooked.
Cohen is a high flyer in America - work, work, work is all he knows., but since being in London, he has lost some of that fast paced enthusiasm.
Cohen at first does not realise why his Mother's friend is waving her hands about like a crazy woman - until it dawns on him that she is speaking in sign language !
The spark between River and Cohen is electric. He learns that River works alone on a Tuesday and spends the next several weeks going there. River is prepared for him, even though she cannot hear, she writes a questionnaire for Cohen to answer and to help her get to know him better.
Cohen has been married before and is going through a difficult divorce with his 'money-grabbing' wife. His world was torn apart when she announced that she was leaving him and yet still wanted to be paid alimony ! Cohen gradually loses his patience and storms off to his solicitor to get the divorce finalised. Enough is enough but he still wants something of sentimental value to be returned to him. His wife requests for them to meet to exchange the item, which she uses as an opportunity to win Cohen back - but he is not having any of it !
Cohen has an important decision to make and when he realises, his mind is made up - New York is no longer his home.
A brilliant book - although be warned, you might seek some ice cream along the way !!
Cohen is a high flyer in America - work, work, work is all he knows., but since being in London, he has lost some of that fast paced enthusiasm.
Cohen at first does not realise why his Mother's friend is waving her hands about like a crazy woman - until it dawns on him that she is speaking in sign language !
The spark between River and Cohen is electric. He learns that River works alone on a Tuesday and spends the next several weeks going there. River is prepared for him, even though she cannot hear, she writes a questionnaire for Cohen to answer and to help her get to know him better.
Cohen has been married before and is going through a difficult divorce with his 'money-grabbing' wife. His world was torn apart when she announced that she was leaving him and yet still wanted to be paid alimony ! Cohen gradually loses his patience and storms off to his solicitor to get the divorce finalised. Enough is enough but he still wants something of sentimental value to be returned to him. His wife requests for them to meet to exchange the item, which she uses as an opportunity to win Cohen back - but he is not having any of it !
Cohen has an important decision to make and when he realises, his mind is made up - New York is no longer his home.
A brilliant book - although be warned, you might seek some ice cream along the way !!
December 9, 2019
Written through the hero's eyes for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this story which makes ideal holiday reading. Cohen turned out to be quite a complex character and certainly one who did not fit any stereotypes. His childhood proved to be still casting a shadow over his present, as he came to realise that he didn't much like the adult he had become.
There are some clear messages behind the story of how disability does not need to define you or hold you back. Home is not necessarily a building or a place as Cohen comes to realise. He learns to overcome obstacles in communication and can see past the surface to his true feelings below. In Rtver, he finds an independent woman and a great role model in the Deaf Community. Although this is a brief read, at 210 pages, it is a little gem of a story, which I was delighted to read.
In short: Warmth and sincerity flavour this festive read.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.
December 15, 2019
OK I need to be honest here, I was never going to give this book anything other than five stars. Full disclosure - the author is my sister and I am so proud of her for getting her work out there, that I want the whole world to read her books. But I will also readily confess.... wait for it... I genuinely loved this book. I really enjoyed getting to know Cohen and River, and I loved the story. I have had the privilege of eating ice cream in Greenwich with my sister (what she will not do in the name of research!) but you don't need to have eaten ice cream in Greenwich to fall in love with Cohen and River (and their mothers, which was a part of the story I particularly enjoyed, especially as one who was been on the wrong side of a Jewish mother). River's deafness and the way in which it was handled was poignant and very real, and by the time I got to the dedication I was in tears. I have been a cynic for many years, and have avoided anything with the word "romance" in the genre description because of that but this book: this book could [whispers] make me love the romance novel again.
November 9, 2019
Ice cream in December? Unusual, but why not? As long as I could have a hot chocolate to stop shivering afterwards, I'd gladly taste several of the flavours sold by River in this delightful Hanukkah/Christmas story.
It's all in Cohen's point of view, so for once we don't get to know what the heroine thinks, but I didn't really mind. And I really liked the way they managed to communicate in spite of River being deaf and Cohen not knowing sign language (but, of course, he quickly decides to learn). The questionnaire she gave him was one of my favourite moments - thoughtful questions, honest answers.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's all in Cohen's point of view, so for once we don't get to know what the heroine thinks, but I didn't really mind. And I really liked the way they managed to communicate in spite of River being deaf and Cohen not knowing sign language (but, of course, he quickly decides to learn). The questionnaire she gave him was one of my favourite moments - thoughtful questions, honest answers.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2019
This was a complete surprise for me. I rarely read books that touch on religion and Sharon Ibbotson is a new author to me but I have to say that the surprise was a pleasant one.
The characterisation was outstanding and I came away from this story with not only enjoying the journey that Cohen and River took together but also how they overcame the hurdles that life had naturally placed in their way.
I took from this story a feeling that I had not only read a wonderful romance, but also that
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery had educated me and shown me that communication barriers can be overcome if one is determined.
The characterisation was outstanding and I came away from this story with not only enjoying the journey that Cohen and River took together but also how they overcame the hurdles that life had naturally placed in their way.
I took from this story a feeling that I had not only read a wonderful romance, but also that
Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery had educated me and shown me that communication barriers can be overcome if one is determined.
January 3, 2024
i was excited to see a chanukah holiday story since there definitely arent nearly as many of these out there, though i have read a couple other good ones. this one was also clearly a grumpy sunshine love story which i do often enjoy. the couple couldnt have been more different from each other and things seemed to progress so quickly in this book that it seemed almost unlikely, but i guess there had to be some sort of magical happening/ change of some of the characters' behaviors in order to get to the HEA. it was a quick read and nice to have chanukah thrown into the slew of christmas holiday stories.
December 18, 2019
Love is the cure for everything!
Cohen is a man bittered through life. Against his will, but just to pleasure his mother, he visits The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery. He expects to see his mother’s friend, but there he meets River de Luca. Instantly he is intrigued by this beautiful woman, and does everything he can to get to know her better, despite warnings to stay away from her. Every Tuesday he goes back to the Ice Creamery, the only day when there are no prying eyes.
Wow, just wow… I don’t know what I was expecting from this story, but it was just perfect! Cohen has had a troubled life, not ever been loved or has loved someone. He’s this bitter man, just thinking about his work and nothing more. He knows what kind of man he has become, and sees his bitterness even reflected in the mirror…
After meeting River, we see a change in his behavior. And he slowly becomes this nice man, not being afraid of some complications. He just goes for it, not being held back anymore by futilities.
I enjoyed every bit of it, as this is a story that shows what changes love can bring. And it shows also that you should never give up hope, as in the end, you’ll always find your perfect match, at the place you least expect it.
What also a nice touch was, is that thanks to meeting River, Cohen grows up, as he says himself. Things he never said or thought in the past are now out it in clear, and he is also ready to put the past behind him. He does what’s required to ensure him finally his true happiness, even if apparently it would disadvantage him. And this is proof of growth.
This book was a joy to read, and I would truly recommend it!
Cohen is a man bittered through life. Against his will, but just to pleasure his mother, he visits The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery. He expects to see his mother’s friend, but there he meets River de Luca. Instantly he is intrigued by this beautiful woman, and does everything he can to get to know her better, despite warnings to stay away from her. Every Tuesday he goes back to the Ice Creamery, the only day when there are no prying eyes.
Wow, just wow… I don’t know what I was expecting from this story, but it was just perfect! Cohen has had a troubled life, not ever been loved or has loved someone. He’s this bitter man, just thinking about his work and nothing more. He knows what kind of man he has become, and sees his bitterness even reflected in the mirror…
After meeting River, we see a change in his behavior. And he slowly becomes this nice man, not being afraid of some complications. He just goes for it, not being held back anymore by futilities.
I enjoyed every bit of it, as this is a story that shows what changes love can bring. And it shows also that you should never give up hope, as in the end, you’ll always find your perfect match, at the place you least expect it.
What also a nice touch was, is that thanks to meeting River, Cohen grows up, as he says himself. Things he never said or thought in the past are now out it in clear, and he is also ready to put the past behind him. He does what’s required to ensure him finally his true happiness, even if apparently it would disadvantage him. And this is proof of growth.
This book was a joy to read, and I would truly recommend it!
December 4, 2019
This story seemed a bit darker than I would normally prefer and a little strange to begin with. Everything seemed against the hero – his relationships were all bad, until he met River, who then became his light. Once he seemed to get a grip and as he puts it ‘grew up’, I had a great deal more liking for him, and began to get involved with the story, which I did enjoy. There were some touching moments too. Definitely worth 4 stars.
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