Love and Gelato

Love and Gelato
By Jenna Evans Welch
Simon Pulse, 2016. 389 pgs. Young Adult

Lina's world crashes down when her mom gets sick and dies a few months after her diagnosis. Suddenly Lina finds herself in Italy fulfilling her mom's dying wish that she spend time getting to know her father, a man she's never met. Shortly after she grudgingly lands, Lina is given a journal her mom kept when she lived in Italy during college. Lina uncovers her mom's secrets, finds friends in local teenagers, and comes to understand herself during the course of the summer.

Despite the heavy topics of sickness and death, this was a fun, breezy summer read. I used Google Translate quite a bit to figure out the Italian phrases scattered throughout the novel. This book furthered my desire to go back to Italy someday and also gave me major cravings for gelato! I'd recommend this book to those that have enjoyed books by Jennifer E. Smith, Stephanie Perkins, and Jen Malone.

AMM