Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Olives

Author: Jenna Evan Welch
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: November 10, 2020
Pages: 512
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.
And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a Mamma Mia–inspired tale about a teen girl finding romance while trying to connect with her absent father in beautiful Santorini, Greece.

M Y  T H O U G H T S 

Liv Varanakis lives with her mother and her stepfather in Seattle. Her father left her family when she was about eight and he currently lives in Santorini, Greece. Liv has always had a good relationship with her father and when she was younger, she would always be Indiana Olive uncovering the secrets of Atlantis with her dad. One day, a postcard with her name on it beckons her to Greece. She refuses to go but her mother convinces to reunite with her father for 10 days.

So during the summer before senior year, Liv travels to Greece. At first her father is no where to be found and she has to hop on a motorbike with Theo, her father's friend's son, in order to meet her father at Oia. Liv spends time in Greece to mull over what life means to her. Her boyfriend wants her to go to Stanford but she really wants to go to RISD to pursue art. Liv tries to forgive her father and to make up for lost time. I love how Theo nicknames Liv Kalamata. Even though Theo and Liv don't warm up to each other at the beginning, their relationship slowly blossoms. And the fact that Theo wants to be an adventure filmmaker, it definitely intrigues Liv. In Love and Olives, Liv breaks out of her shell and embraces who she is not only as a person but to really hone on her artistic skills and to make long lasting relationships. 

Jenna Evans Welch not only transports her readers to another beautiful European country but she is able to tell us a wonderful story. I love how Welch starts each chapter with one of the items that Liv's father left behind...from Big Red chewing gum to pages of Plato's Timaeus and Critias. Liv is able to reconnect with her father through a documentary they are filming about finding Atlantis for National Geographic. They both rekindle their daughter/father relationship over one of their favorite things they bond over. 

I highly suggest Love & Olives for readers who are consumed by wanderlust and those who want to be transported somewhere new. I also enjoyed reading other books by Welch such as Love & Gelato and Love & Luck. 

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Luck
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 8, 2018
Pages: 320
Source/format: e-ARC from Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.

So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Addie Bennett is in Ireland for her aunt's wedding. Right after the wedding, she gets to fly out to Florence, Italy to meet up with her best friend Lina. However, there is a catch. Since Addie was fighting with her brother, Ian, her mother decides that having both siblings fly out to Florence would be a good way to for them to bond. If either of them causes a ruckus, they are both kicked off their sports teams. However, Ian has other plans.

I was super excited that Jenna Evans Welch transports her readers to another country and even ties in characters from her debut novel, Love & Gelato, with Love & Luck. With the introduction of Addie and Addie's mother and brothers, readers also meet Ian's Irish friend, Rowan, who is equally as charming as he is smart. Not only did he figure out how to resolve a family argument between Ian and Addie, but Rowan and Addie eventually become good friends. Addie's first words to Rowan are "Who are you?" in a demanding voice and sees Rowan as a nuisance at first. She warms up to him as the novel progresses.

One of my favorite characters is Ian. Even though he is a football player who is scouted out for a scholarship to attend Washington State University, Ian's passions lies elsewhere. Ian has his own blog called My Lexicon and he is a teen music online journalist. He has a pretty good following online and that's how Rowan and Ian met. Rowan has been following Ian's articles for sometime and decided to contact him. Ian doesn't care too much about Washington State because he is working on polishing up his portfolio for a career in journalism. This is Ian's secret that he has been hiding from his family. However, Addie also has a secret she has been hiding from her family and it has to do with Cubby Jones. Throughout the novel, Addie utilizes Ireland for the Heartbroken to get over heartbreak while she travels throughout Ireland.

Welch is able to flesh out a lot about characters' pasts beyond the main character. It adds substance to the plot and characterization to understand what these characters have been through. What are their struggles? How did they overcome them? What are they trying to achieve now? What are there goals and what are their pursuits to their own happiness? It helps readers figure out why characters say the things they say and do the things they do.

When you first read Love & Luck, you think this is just Addie's story but it's so much more than that. I see it more like Ian's story and how Addie and Rowan add to his journey of following a band's footprints from their early days to their days of their final show. It's also a story about how Addie needs to figure out what she wants from life. Addie actually has a passion in auto mechanics but she only sees it as a hobby. Both Addie and Ian strengthen their sibling bond with this journey throughout Ireland. This novel contains ultimate coming-of-age stories about Addie and Ian.

One thing that bothered me about the novel was how Addie claims that the only way that she will be able to attend a good college is through soccer. Although I don't want to see teens think like this, it does happen. I hope that Addie didn't see soccer as her only way to a good college. Also, what is defined as a "good" college? Everyone's definition of "good" varies. 

Love & Luck is wanderlust at its very best, tracing steps to a music festival in Ireland along sibling bonding and exploring Ireland with a guidebook to ease heartache. It's the perfect summer read where time slows down and people dive into new experiences. I highly recommend Love & Luck for readers who love traveling, music and coming-of-age novels. Definitely read Love & Gelato if you haven't but it's not a required to read Love & Gelato before Love & Luck.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Gelato
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 400
Source/format: ARC from the publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept from Lina for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

M Y  T H O U G H T S
 
Carolina (Lina) Emerson ends up relocating from Seattle to Italy to live with her father, Howard Mercer, about six months after Lina's mother passes. Lina moves to a house located in the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. Despite Lina not wanting to move to Florence, she meets an array of people such as Lorenzo (Ren) and Thomas. Will Lina stay in Florence just for the summer or will she permanently settle in the birthplace of the Renaissance? Will she fall in love in Ren or Thomas?

Jenna Evans Welch has captured my heart with the love of Florence. When I was reading Love & Gelato, it reminded me when I visited Florence, Italy back in 2009. The way Welch describes certain parts of Florence is perfect. I can vividly picture everything she describes from the Boboli Gardens to Ponte Vecchio. It brings back so many memories of all the things I saw and did in Firenze. Oh, how I miss it!

Welch includes journal entries within Love & Gelato which adds something extra to the book. Even though Lina's mother passed, Lina can experience Florence through her mother's eyes with the journal; It's like her personal guide to Florence. However, Lina discovers that the journal holds many secrets. And of course, Lina wants to figure out the mystery of why her mother wanted to her move to Florence. With the help of Ren, Lina unearths more than she bargained for.

Love & Gelato is the perfect heartfelt and romantic novel for those who enjoyed reading Anna and the French Kiss. Looking for the perfect book about self-discovery and love in a foreign country, then Love & Gelato is the book to pick up for your spring or summer read.