Book Review: Love & Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch

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 uncovered 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 for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything Lina 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.

‘Love & Gelato’ is a young adult novel by Jenna Evans Welch. It’s a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl named Lina who travels to Italy after her mother’s death and discovers the truth about her family’s past. As she embarks on her journey to Italy to connect with her alienated father, Howard, for the summer, she follows a promise made to her late mother, only to discover that her living arrangements are in a cemetery. Despite the emotional unrest, she faces following her mother’s death, Lina is gifted with her mother’s journal, documenting her photography studies in Florence. Along the way, she falls in love with the country’s culture and its gelato, as well as a handsome local boy. ‘Love and Gelato’ is a heart-warming romantic fiction that will leave you craving gelato… lots and lots of it.

“You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it’s for the same two things.”
“What?”
“Love & gelato.”
~ Jenna Evans Welch, Love & Gelato

I actually really enjoyed reading this book, it was very heartwarming and sweet. The book was very interesting and charming with a hint of mystery, I really liked the sweet romance in Lina‘s life as well as her mom’s. It was also a good contemporary novel because of the enigma of wanting to know what happened in Florence such a long time ago. I absolutely adored the ending, it wasn’t too vague and wrapped everything up very well, and left me with a happy and pleased feeling. I also really enjoyed the side-by-side play of Lina’s mother’s journal which was like a second story, it was like reading two stories at once which helped me gain a new perspective on the story. Reading about Lina’s journey of getting to know the people of Florence and meeting her father was very thrilling and enjoyable to read. Also, the description of the setting Florence was written beautifully, it made me feel as though I was there!

There were a few parts where I was easily able to predict what was going to happen next. But nonetheless, it was still a riveting read, with enough twists where I was engrossed, particularly when I was starting to find some truths.

To put it all together, ‘Love & Gelato’ is a feel-good, romantic novel with a twisting mystery that will make you crave Gelato, I recommend this book to someone looking for an adorable summertime story!