Love & Gelato

Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Pages: 389
Genre: YA Contemporary
First Published: May 2016
Book description (from Good Reads): Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn't in the mood for Italy's famous sunshine and fairytale landscape. She's only there because it was her mother's dying wish that she got to know her father. But what kind of father isn't around for 16 years? All Lina wants to do is get back home. But then she is given a journal that her mother 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 will change everything she knew about her mother, her father and even herself.

Things to consider:

• Characters: 7.5 
• Lina and Ren are very typical teenagers full of want. 
• Lina wants to go home, then she wants to uncover secrets hidden in her mother's past and then she just wants love. To belong somewhere. She is a very vibrant person. She is a bit reckless and she could have easily solved a lot of heartaches if only a few conversations were initiated. 
• Ren is full of life but he also has the same fault as Lina, in some aspects a nice sincere conversation was due and yet he chooses to stay quiet. He can also be reckless and impulsive, then again teenagers … So I guess it’s a bit more acceptable from both of them. 
• Family dynamics, as well as very good friendships, are shown in here, from Lina's mom story, from her own friends back in Us and the one she forms with Ren. 
• Faults in characters, Lina is too judgmental towards plenty of people, that does take her down from your esteem really also there are some relationships that you can see are not right (Lina' parents) from reading the journal Lina is able to see the unhealthy relationship as it develops. It is addressed as a bad idea to have that sort of relationship, good! 
• Adults in this story are portrayed very realistically, they can be afraid too and they can make the wrong choices but not because of that they stop being the people you can rely on and nor does that make you love/appreciate them any less. 
• Plot: 7.5 
• It was a very predictable YA story full of several clichés. Not so girly girl, tragic past, love triangles, insecurities, etc. But it was still an enjoyable read. As you read the story does make you want to smack some people but overall it had a very good storyline. You can predict how it all ends up and the big reveals can be seen miles away but still, you enjoy to see how the clueless Lina gets to the same conclusions you reached a while back. 
• Logic: 8.0 
• Many decisions are not to be applauded, from Lina's mom's secret love story, the way she ends or starts certain relationships, the secret keeping, the way she chooses to reveal those secrets without really much instruction. Ok I do have several issues here but overall I can see it happening, most of the decisions were taken in the heat of the moment a burning flame of love and later an avalanche of fear. 
• With Lina especially there are several decisions and attitudes she has that are not to my personal liking but she is going through some difficult times and she's not the most mature person on the planet, she's bound to make mistakes and her bad or good decisions make sense in her head, at least as a reader you can see why she's making those decisions. 
• Writing Style: 7.5 
• Very simple and fast to read. It gives you a nice fluffy contemporary to read while not having to try too hard to focus. The author paints beautiful landscapes of the places Lina visits and it paints a very clear image of those wonderful sights. 
• It is a nice option for a quick read. 
• Enjoyment: 8.5 
• Most of the story I was fighting Lina or her mother for their decision-making abilities but you still enjoy the fight as much as the outcome of the whole. It grows on you the fact that you practically would have taken almost every opposite decision they did XD 
• Intrigue: 7.5 
• There is a bit of mystery sown into the story, you begin to read in great anticipation, you can probably guess the big reveal but no matter the ride there is still enjoyable. 
• Intention: 8.0 
• Be sincere, it saves a lot of trouble. 
• Do not be so quick to judge or you might be at fault for jumping into the wrong conclusions. 
• When you visit a new country, do try to learn some of the language and enjoy the comedy that issues from trying to communicate. Sometimes going to foreign countries can be daunting, it can change your life forever, be it for the better or worst. 
• You must be able to let the past go. 

Total Score: 54.5
Average: 7.7 

Star Rating: 3.5

Used to accomplish challenges:

• MateAthon: 
• Only Cook on a Barbie. Read a book with food in the cover.
• We ride kangaroos to school.