Love & Olives

I loved the first two books in the Love & Gelato series, and I loved this one just the same. Love & Olives takes you on a trip to Santorini, Greece, and has you feeling completely immersed from the beginning. I absolutely adored this book and all the characters that drew me into their stories. This was the perfect young adult romance book to escape into, but also a story about family and heartache. I really admired Welch’s ability to create a realistic father-daughter dynamic.

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.

And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

Olive was an honest and real young girl who I felt for throughout the storyline. She had a lot of validation for feeling the way she did towards her father at the beginning of the book, and I loved watching her blossom and grow as she explored her own self and what she really wants not only from her father but what she wants for her own future. I truly loved Olive’s spunk and strength as she works with her father all while avoiding the reality of their complicated relationship.

The banter between Olive and Theo kept the plot and story moving at a fun and fast clip. Theo’s ability to get Olive to think about who she really is and what the reality of her relationship with her father may truly be kept me engaged till the last page.

The dynamics and mystery of the relationship…well lack of relationship between Olive and her dad was the real driving force of the story. Watching Olive struggle with how she really feels about seeing her father for the first time and if she even wants a relationship with him kept the storyline realistic and moving at a fast pace. I won’t tell you all about her struggles or how it ends, but I will tell you I cried at the end.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a mini vacation or a way to escape into the pages of a heartwarming story and adventure.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Teen for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.