Yay or Nay? Love and Gelato (Book)

This book made my heart very happy. For the record, this book was the one I read on the flight to Japan after finding out my iPad wouldn't connect with the on-flight WIFI, and thus, ten hour flying time to this book. I do not regret it, although I'm a fast reader and this book has large font, so I read it in an hour but had time to get acquainted with the material.

(Side Note from Olga: Meghan loves to misrepresent the truth. First of all, I got her the book, thanks for not mentioning that she likes to forget my taste in books is impeccable. Also, she was so excited when I gave it to her that she read the first 300 pages of this before the flight. So there you are readers, I gave you the truth)

So yeah. As Olga mentioned and I will say, she does have the best taste in books, and got me this, and I consider my first read before the flight, but the last 100 pages were on that flight-- so technically, one did read the book on the flight to Japan (Olga: She adds this after being reprimanded  :-p )

So, what's the Story? 

Taken from GoodReads, slightly, because I still suck at retelling books I love in my own words. Despite having an English degree. 

Lina, our main character is spending her summer in Tuscany, not for the sights, but because it was her dying mother's wish that she get to know her father. She doesn't want to be in Italy however and just wants to go home to mourn. 

Then, she finds a journal that once belonged to her mother when she studied in Italy, and suddenly Lina is discovering a hidden world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries that she didn't even know existed. This, which inspires her, and her maybe romantic partner, Ren to follow in her footsteps and discover a secret about Lina that has been hidden for so long. 

First of all. I love summer romances that take place in Europe!!! Those are my favourite stories, and I love Europe in general. Everything is ten times better than here, so this story, inspired from "I see London, I see France", when I read it, was next on my list of vacation reads. It's very similar to the type of story seen in "I see London, I see France", except with a slightly darker view on things. 

Case and Point: 

His voice was hopeful, but I slumped back in my seat, a swarm of questions taking flight in my mind. If she loved you so much, then why didn't she ever tell me about it? Why didn't she ever talk about you until she got sick? And for the love of all that's holy, what made her leave out the teeny-tiny detail that you're my father?

In this novel, not like "I See London, I See France", there is a darker undertone. It's not all sunshine and Euro-trips. Lina is trying to come to terms with some tough stuff, and when she receives her mother's journal, it becomes a window into both Lina and Hadley's (her mother) lives. The book switches from perspective now and again, to the present and past between Lina and Hadley. 

My Thoughts...A Mystery, or Y/A? Or a Nice Mixture of Both? 

Truthfully, it's this fact that makes the book intriguing. I credit stories on their ability to be both engaging and surprising. Normally, I can predict the twists, I have a knack for that which makes it hard for me to enjoy a good book. But I genuinely did not see this one coming. That, and tracing Lina's mother's life by the change in perspective was a good move. It really put me in the shoes of both characters and allowed me to see really what was at stake, and what these characters were like during the whole of the story. 

Then there's the likability of the characters. This doesn't feel like a typical Y/A, it actually feels like its trying to be a serious novel, with a young adult edge to it. It's lighthearted, and serious, mysterious, and romantic at the same time. 

Me while reading this book. 

Take, for example, the first time Lina meets Ren, a half-American, half-Italian boy her age: 

He pulled off his headphones, his music blaring. "Hey are you lost? The Bella Vita hostel is just down the road."

I stopped. "You speak English?"

"Just a little bit-a," he said with an exaggerated Italian accent. 

"Are you American?"

"Sort of." 

I don't know why, but this scene is really funny. No grand introduction, no "oh my, he was the hottest boy to ever walk the Earth" cringey Y/A introduction. Just a regular, everyday meeting. Of course, Ren's real name is Lorenzo, which, well, that's the most-used Italian name ever. It's like naming him John Smith... but I can't fault the character that.

But I love the fact that I can hear and see the interaction in my head between them. It seems very original, and each character has a distinct personality that stands out, which, with other books sometimes gets lost within the language.

Beyond that, this book is a great "in-betweener" if you're looking for something serious, and relatively light-hearted. It's not by any means one you should read if you're expecting a serious 'serious' story, but one that is a good between books for the time being, or generally, a good poolside read (I know, we're in winter, but I'd like to think of someplace warm!)

In terms of mystery, the first line of Hadley's journal, surprisingly, had me:

"I made the wrong choice".

It is this line which is important, as this starts the journey of what was the choice that Lina seeks to find out.  I'm a sucker for looming phrases like these, so I had to read to the end to find out. 

And I promise, as someone who hates predictable, you will not be disappointed by the ending. 

My Rating 

This book is fantastic! I would definitely give it a read, borrow, whatever floats your boat. It's great for summer, or if you need that "travel book" to distract yourself for a little bit. 

My Rating? ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Meghan