Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Love & Luck

"Hearts break open until they stay open. It's what they were made to do. The pain? It's part of the deal. A small exchange for the wild, joyful mess you'll be handed in return."
This book was a lovable whirlwind of a story set in the Emerald Isle. I read Love & Gelato last month to test Jenna Evans Welch's writing and see if I liked it. I did this mainly because I didn't want to spend time on an author whose writing I didn't enjoy. But here we are: I gave Love & Gelato 4 stars, and I'm giving Love & Luck 5 stars. The way the story simply flowed - Addie's relationships, being in Ireland, character growth and development - had me hooked from beginning to end. And the ending was the emotional release that I needed just as much as the characters.
"Labels aren't big enough for people. And once you try to categorize someone, you stop looking for who they actually are."

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lavenderbluestories's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was so excited to read this book after obsessing over Love & Gelato, but I’ll admit I didn’t love it as much. Don’t get me wrong - it was still the perfect fluffy read for a road trip, and you can never go wrong with Jenna Evans Welch’s characters and easygoing tone of writing. This book was a heartwarming exploration of family and sibling relationships set in the most beautiful landscapes across Ireland, and the whole book felt like a musical montage. The only reason I dropped a star in my rating is that I went into it expecting more of a romance, when in reality the story was more about family and self-discovery. Still definitely worth a read, I wish I could be friends with all of Jenna’s characters!!

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think_kimberly's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I mentioned in my review for Love & Olives that I read these books out of order. I realized too late that this was, in fact, the second book, but I read it as the third, and I'm glad I did because if I'd read it second, I may not have finished the series. It was definitely my least favorite out of the three. Maybe that's due to the fact that there was virtually no romance. Maybe it's because the fight between siblings felt entirely unnecessary. I'm not sure. I just didn't really enjoy it. It was a fine book, but it was certainly not excellent. I gave it 3 stars mostly for the guidebook snippets throughout, rather than for the story itself.

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