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mdevlin727's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.5
It’s been a long time since I’ve read YA, and I know this book isn’t meant for me. Young me would have loved it but after living in Ireland the touristy way this was written got to me
sottola99's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
mrsguin's review against another edition
4.0
I was leaning heavily toward a true 3⭐️ rating up until the last 75-ish pages. It just wasn’t giving me the same feelings as Love & Olives did. The ending, however, bumped this up to a 3.75⭐️ (rounded up to 4⭐️).
ashction's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Good, but no Love & Gelato.
I really, really loved L&G - it had the romance, the mystery, the lessons and learning and fluff that made the book not only work, but sing. I guess I expected L&L to do the same, and it does - sometimes! - but it's definitely a different kind of story. L&L is not romantic, per say; it is about heartbreak and rebuilding. While that's really nice, that's not the kind of book I expected to read, so I think that detracted from my experience a bit. If you read it and expect rebuilding and a sibling-centric story, you're probably going to enjoy it a lot more!
Spoilers ahead, but to conclude: Overall, this was a hard read at first but it finally became interesting and good somewhere between the third/halfway points. Read at your own risk; there's not a lot of love or luck, but there's a lot of family love, self-love, and new beginnings.
The Good: I love that I realized midway through the book that this was a companion novel to L&G; you didn't need to read either to fully understand one by itself, but the experience is definitely richer having read both books. I also actually really liked how Addie grows, and the Queen Maeve bit is stellar. The last third of the novel, actually, is pretty awesome, and it definitely improved my overall opinion of the book! There's a really lovely moment once the get to the musical festival that I won't spoil but totally made me tear up, and I loved it. I also liked the sibling dynamics between not only Addie and Ian, but Walter and Archie too. I actually wish there had been a little more of that, especially since the novel is selling that familial relationship so heavily. And, naturally, who doesn't enjoy a good road trip book? There were enough shenanigans and cool characters along the way to really sell that theme/technique, so I applaud that (and the subtle ways it fleshes Addie out as this boss mechanic/tech girl, a characteristic I was a little envious of myself!)
The Bad (or, at least, Not So Good): The introduction is actually terrible. I had no idea for three chapters whether these characters were Irish or American, and - honestly - even Rowan, the only Irish person in the book, could have easily been American if not otherwise specified. On a craft-level, more attention could have been paid to subtly developing the scene since we jump straight into the action and Ian and Addie's brawl. I also kind of hate and love that there's not romance in this? There's hints by the end, but they're still fragile beginnings of a crush rather than anything solid. I dislike that there's not romance because I think the title is a bit misleading; that love is definitely self-love more than anything. But I love it, too, because it goes with the story and really develops the characters. I also wish the Cubby thing was better introduced, less mysterious, and better finalized. I spent too long wondering if this was about to swerve into a rape-y situation, and actual lines insinuated this a lot (intentionally or not). I also really disliked the way Cubby is just "maybe going to be kicked off the team" but we don't talk about it again; the entire novel actually ends way too abruptly, and could have used a little more time to mediate. And even though this is Addie's book, she spent so much time worrying about Lina, her new boyfriend, and their relationship that there was too few girl-to-girl conversations to go around.
I really, really loved L&G - it had the romance, the mystery, the lessons and learning and fluff that made the book not only work, but sing. I guess I expected L&L to do the same, and it does - sometimes! - but it's definitely a different kind of story. L&L is not romantic, per say; it is about heartbreak and rebuilding. While that's really nice, that's not the kind of book I expected to read, so I think that detracted from my experience a bit. If you read it and expect rebuilding and a sibling-centric story, you're probably going to enjoy it a lot more!
Spoilers ahead, but to conclude: Overall, this was a hard read at first but it finally became interesting and good somewhere between the third/halfway points. Read at your own risk; there's not a lot of love or luck, but there's a lot of family love, self-love, and new beginnings.
The Good: I love that I realized midway through the book that this was a companion novel to L&G; you didn't need to read either to fully understand one by itself, but the experience is definitely richer having read both books. I also actually really liked how Addie grows, and the Queen Maeve bit is stellar. The last third of the novel, actually, is pretty awesome, and it definitely improved my overall opinion of the book! There's a really lovely moment once the get to the musical festival that I won't spoil but totally made me tear up, and I loved it. I also liked the sibling dynamics between not only Addie and Ian, but Walter and Archie too. I actually wish there had been a little more of that, especially since the novel is selling that familial relationship so heavily. And, naturally, who doesn't enjoy a good road trip book? There were enough shenanigans and cool characters along the way to really sell that theme/technique, so I applaud that (and the subtle ways it fleshes Addie out as this boss mechanic/tech girl, a characteristic I was a little envious of myself!)
The Bad (or, at least, Not So Good): The introduction is actually terrible. I had no idea for three chapters whether these characters were Irish or American, and - honestly - even Rowan, the only Irish person in the book, could have easily been American if not otherwise specified. On a craft-level, more attention could have been paid to subtly developing the scene since we jump straight into the action and Ian and Addie's brawl. I also kind of hate and love that there's not romance in this? There's hints by the end, but they're still fragile beginnings of a crush rather than anything solid. I dislike that there's not romance because I think the title is a bit misleading; that love is definitely self-love more than anything. But I love it, too, because it goes with the story and really develops the characters. I also wish the Cubby thing was better introduced, less mysterious, and better finalized. I spent too long wondering if this was about to swerve into a rape-y situation, and actual lines insinuated this a lot (intentionally or not). I also really disliked the way Cubby is just "maybe going to be kicked off the team" but we don't talk about it again; the entire novel actually ends way too abruptly, and could have used a little more time to mediate. And even though this is Addie's book, she spent so much time worrying about Lina, her new boyfriend, and their relationship that there was too few girl-to-girl conversations to go around.
atinylittlereader's review against another edition
5.0
“I couldn’t get over the way our hands fit together. Like they’d been sitting on opposite ends of the globe just waiting for the chance to meet.”
I’m realizing I LOVE reading books that take place abroad. I lovedddd Love & Gelato and this one was such a cute little addition of a side character. I loved reading about the different places in Ireland and absolutely loved the touch of the book healing heartbreak and the overall message. I also loved reading about Addie and Ian’s friendship/brother sister relationship so much and how sweet Rowan was to Addie
I’m realizing I LOVE reading books that take place abroad. I lovedddd Love & Gelato and this one was such a cute little addition of a side character. I loved reading about the different places in Ireland and absolutely loved the touch of the book healing heartbreak and the overall message. I also loved reading about Addie and Ian’s friendship/brother sister relationship so much and how sweet Rowan was to Addie
rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition
4.0
The perfect summer book. I loved Love & Gelato so I had high hopes for this one and it didn't let me down. I read it in 24 hours and am kind of sad it's over. I love how this author hints at past dramas and how something is going on that we're not quite privy to. And then drops little pieces along the journey for us to wonder at, as she leads us down the path to answers. I've been to many of these Irish places described and the author did a wonderful job. I wish she would write a book about every country. The inclusion of the heartbreak tour book was hilarious and each passage had me laughing at the narrator's descriptions. It was a sweet story with great characters and my biggest disappointment was that I wish it was longer! This book was a little lighter than Love & Gelato and I want more of these characters. Definitely recommend summer reading.
notoriouskog's review against another edition
4.0
Weirdly enough I traveled a VERY similar path one summer with a very broken heart. This was perfectly sweet and worth the read.
sunnyinka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
erinhansberry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25