Love & Gelato

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really loved this book. It was sweet, funny, emotional, and had such a comforting feel to it from beginning to end. I liked the mix of romance, family, friendship, and self-discovery, and I never felt like one part completely took over the story. There were moments that made me laugh, moments that hit me emotionally, and enough mystery and curiosity to keep me wanting to know what happened next. The setting also added so much to the overall feel of the book and made it easy to get completely wrapped up in the story. Overall, this was an easy five-star read for me. It was heartfelt, romantic, funny, and just really enjoyable. I’d definitely recommend it if you like emotional YA romance with a little adventure mixed in.

I gave Love & Gelato four stars! I really enjoyed the story, especially the romance, the Italian setting, and the fun, emotional journey Lina goes on. It was a cute and easy read with plenty of sweet moments. Some parts felt a little predictable, but overall, I loved the atmosphere and the characters and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light, feel-good romance.

This was such a sweet, fun book and I could have ten books following Lina and her time in Italy and still want more! I had such a good time reading this book and it got me excited about contemporaries again. It was really the best kind of contemporary to read near the end of Summer. In Love & Gelato we follow Lina after her mother has passed away and she is sent to Italy for the Summer to live with the father she didn't know she had. While in Italy, Lina is given a journal from the year her mother got pregnant with her and begins to uncover all of the mysteries her mother left behind. I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was how light it went on the romance. I had expected this book to be pretty romance-heavy, which is fine with these kind of books, but I was genuinely surprised to find that the romance was more of a subplot rather than a dominant narrative. It was really nice that we got to focus more on Lina learning more about her mother and forming a bond with the father she didn't know she had. With that being said, the romance was really sweet and fluffy and didn't feel forced at all. I really loved her romantic interest, though I did feel like the love triangle thing was a little unnecessary. It didn't hinder my enjoyment, but it also could have easily been written out. However, I do see how it is supposed to mirror her mother's love triangle struggles. I feel like maybe if the love triangle had been stronger, then it might have worked better. This sort of love triangle just didn't cut it. I also really loved how much like Mamma Mia it was. I'm not sure if that was intentional on the author's part, but I just kept being reminded of Mamma Mia. Lina's reading her mother's journal to find out things about her, she's in a foreign country, she isn't totally sure who her dad is... A lot of the same elements seem to be there which is nice for someone suffering from a Mamma Mia hangover! I've been wanting to find more books with that same feel, and I'm glad that Love & Gelato is fairly similar. Getting to know more about Lina's mother and her time in Italy was so great and could have easily been its own book! I also really liked how we got a lot of Lina's mother's journal entries to read. It really felt like we were right there with Lina finding out more about her mother. It was also cool to get to see some of Florence's history and have a little bit of Latin thrown in there! Overall this is just a really fun contemporary to read and I felt like I was breezing through it. I would imagine that just about anyone would enjoy this book and not find too much wrong with it. It's not the strongest contemporary out there, but it was so enjoyable and it was so fluffy that I have to give credit where credit is due. If you're looking for something light to read, then this book is the right one for you!

This book was wonderful!! It's the story of Lina, who's sixteen-year-old life pretty much falls apart when her mother is diagnosed with cancer and she dies in a matter of weeks. As if that weren't enough emotional upheaval, she's sent off to Italy to meet - and live with - the father she has never known. Once there, she is given a journal that her mother kept when she lived in Italy all those years ago. It doesn't take long before Lina and her cute neighbor Ren are buzzing around the Tuscan countryside on his scooter, discovering the world described within its pages. But even as the Italian countryside begins to grow on her, Lina struggles to accept the woman her mother really was, and the man and life she left behind. (Ages 12+) I loved this book. Absolutely {loved} it! It was sweet, cute, quirky, and fun. I love books that can make me cry, as well as books that can make me laugh out loud. This did both. The tears mostly just pricked my eyes and my heart, but the laughs - oh, the laughs!! We're talking side-splitting, can't-hardly-breathe, get-a-new-pair-of-underwear laughs. Multiple times. I picked it up about 11:00 in the morning and could hardly put it down. Perhaps it was funnier because I ended up staying up late to finish it, and things always seem more humorous when I'm exhausted, lol. There was a general air of mystery surrounding everything pertaining to Italy: Lina's father, her mother's past there, and what actually happened. There were some good hints along the way that got my gears turning, and by the time I figured out what was really going on, Lina had almost figured it out as well. I really appreciated that the author didn't wait until the end to "reveal it all," since it is so incredibly annoying to me when I figure things out way ahead of the protagonist. The timing and pacing were perfect, the resolution was satisfying, the characters endearing, and the writing was beautiful. I thought it was a brilliant book by this debut author, and I'm already craving more from Ms. Welch!!

In this YA novel, sixteen-year-old Lina travels to Florence to fulfill her mother’s dying wish: to meet and get to know the father she never knew. Wow! There is so much to love about this book. It’s a perfect mix of romance, mystery, and adventure. It’s a genuinely wonderful coming-of-age story about coping with grief, embracing a new culture, and finding yourself in an exciting new place. Lina discovers Italy through her mother’s detailed journal. I loved how young Hadley (Lina’s mom) kept these beautiful journals and scrapbooks and was brave enough to let people read them! What sets this book apart is that it lets you experience an exciting new place through the eyes and heart of a carefree, brave, and thoughtful teen. It makes you remember those feelings you had as a teen, where adults with their worries and busy, boring lives sounded so annoying! This book feels incredibly real. I doubled up on the audiobook and really enjoyed it! It certainly helps with the pronunciation of the Italian words. This was a delightful novel with well-written characters—a feel-good read that was hard to put down.

"Love and Gelato" (LG). First things first - the very best ice cream/gelato/frozen dessert is Haagen Dazs Vanilla. Second place is Haagen Dazs Con De Leche, and third place is Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin. Now before all you gelato lovers get your panties in a twist let me say that I like most gelato. I have had gelato in Italy and in the US. A lot of gelato. Some of it is better than some ice creams, and vice versa. I will also add that I have seen lots of Italy and like most tourists I fell in love with Italy and with most things Italian, including Limoncello, Pisa, Florence, the Uffizi, and David. But let's not get all crazy about an over-priced dessert just because it's Italian and because it's the fad of the moment. So chill, everyone. Unfortunately, I'm not as enthusiastic about LG. It's ok as a YA novel goes but it's really just another dessert - light, tasty, refreshing for a few moments, forgettable. High schooler Lina loses her Mom to cancer and following one of Mom's last wishes flies off to Tuscany to spend time with the mysterious Howard. But what was Mom's relationship to hunky Howard? Friend? Lover? Father of her only child? It seems the answer might be found in a journal that Mom sent to Howard sometime back. Lina pours through it seemingly a few pages at a time, sharing her findings with the reader (one of her friends goes through it in two hours!) And so the story slowwwlllyyyy enfolds. Anyway, Lina quickly encounters the Love of her life - that would be Lorenzo, or is it Thomas? They have the usual teen-age spats, and say really stupid things to each other. I note that some of these YA things label their work "For ages 12 and up" I would like to suggest a new approach - how about "For ages 14 and down"

A charming and heartwarming story! The characters are lovable, the setting is beautiful, and the romance is sweet and engaging. A perfect read for anyone who enjoys young adult romance.

I knew before I read it that it was a book for teens, just because the publisher’s URL referenced on the back cover was simonandschuster.com/teen. Knowing that made a big difference in how I read it. The prologue consisted of the main character’s mother’s diagnosis of a terminal and fast-moving illness, then skipped to the mother’s deathbed wish that said main character, Lina, go to Italy to stay with a man she’s never met but whom her mother trusts because he is apparently Lina’s father, and then dives right in with her arrival in Italy in chapter one. Its pacing, especially at the beginning, is, I think, reflective of Lina’s shock and denial about being in such a difficult, unexpected situation. It isn’t until later in the book that she begins to come to terms with her grief, and that reckoning and increase in maturity is an endearing thing to be a part of. Indeed, if I could sum up the whole book in just one word, it would be “cute.” But then I would have to clarify that by saying that it is so because of its appeal to teenagers (especially girls), its pacing, and its wonderful voice. The dialogue sounded consistently authentic and humorous. There are rejoinders like this on almost every page: “Odette grimaced. ‘I’m spending the summer pretending to be somewhere other than Italy. Ren grinned. “How’s that working out for you? You know, with your Italian husband and children?” I absolutely loved the humor in this book, as expressed in conversations like that and in Lina’s and her friend’s actions. And, of course, the romance was fun. If you’re an adult looking to read about a serious, in-depth, marriage-inducing love, you won’t find it in this book, nor should you expect it, except for a smattering in her mother’s backstory. But it was still a joy to “watch” the blossoming of romantic feelings between Lina and a certain male character. The bumps and detours they experienced as their relationship developed made for a good plot. So, if you have a teenage daughter, get this book for her right now. Keep in mind that there is a little bit of alcohol use, and various references to Lina’s illegitimacy. It does skim over the fact that Lina never knew her father while growing up with her mother, and never really questioned her father’s absence, but that may have been because of her afore-mentioned grief. Even if you’re not a teenager yourself, but are looking for a light summer read, you should read this. Enjoy it in the vein that it was written, with “love” and “gelato” used together in the title, almost as if they’re interchangeable. Because, when you’re young, sometimes they are. (see full review at[...])

If you are looking for a book to get you out of your reading slump, then this book is it. It’s so incredibly wholesome that I devoured this book in one sitting. As the weather is turning, I wanted nothing more than to be in Tuscany with Lina as she navigates life after her mother’s death. It is very emotive at times as Lina deals with the grief of losing her mother and moving to a foreign country. Jenna transports you to Tuscany and the reader feels that they are with Lina every step of the way. The incorporation of Italian throughout and the famous landmarks made me feel like I was walking the streets of Italy too and I also picked up some useful phrases. I couldn’t complete this review without incorporating Howard. If you every need an example of everlasting love, Howard is your man.

My 14 yr old daughter loves to read. She enjoyed it.

Ce livre est écrit en anglais. Je ne pense pas que c'était marqué. De plus la couverture de couleur crème est toute sale. C'était pour offrir

Ideal para niñas

Good