Overall, this was a really sweet, heartwarming coming-of-age story, touching on loss and grief. This is a clean book – no language or spice. However, it took me quite a while to get fully invested in the story. The first 50-60% were pretty slow-paced, and I contemplated DNFing it a few times. But I really wanted to give it a chance. I’m glad I did because it picked up pace and got more interesting.
Lina is a likable main character. She’s not too bratty or angsty, as you can get in some teen stories. She’s just really lost, confused, and in mourning from losing her mom. I could especially relate to her. I lost my mom to cancer at 16. Not only is that age such a confusing, tender age in your life, but then throwing a life-changing event, like the passing of a parent, on top of it, it makes things even more difficult, complicated, and disorienting. Then, for Lina, throw on top of all that a brand new country that she’s flying to, where she doesn’t speak the language, and meeting a guy that’s supposed to be her dad, who hasn’t been in her life at all. So I had a lot of sympathy and empathy for her. She was going through it!
The love story was swoon-worthy for a teenager. This is definitely geared more toward a younger audience. As a middle-aged woman, I couldn’t get over the insta-love trope. I hate it! It’s just not realistic. Supposedly, Lina flies to Italy from America, gets settled in with her dad, meets Ren and a bunch of other kids in the area, runs all over Italy trying to dig up secrets from her mom’s past, and then starts to fall in love… in a matter of a week! Uhhh, nope! Don’t believe it. I would think she’s still getting over her jet lag. That girl needs some sleep, not a boyfriend!
The writing was a bit juvenile for my taste, but it was descriptive and immersive. I felt like I had been transported to Italy. I enjoyed experiencing the country as Lina and Ren ventured around the different cities. Lina also does some things with her dad, which also lets us see different parts of Italy. I also liked that her dad works at an American war cemetery in Italy. It was a unique twist on the setting. I wish there were more descriptions of her ventures into the Italian cities, but from what we got, I really enjoyed it. And it made me want gelato!!
I know this book was adapted into a movie, but it’s on Netflix, which we don’t subscribe to, so I wasn’t able to watch it. But if I could, I would’ve. I do wonder what the movie did with the story.
Read this if you:
- Enjoy coming-of-age, YA stories
- Want a light and fluffy read
- Love cute, heartwarming, and clean YA romance books
- Like the tropes: friends to lovers, insta-love, love triangle, grumpy (she)/sunshine (he)
- Enjoy family secrets and trying to uncover a parent’s secret past
- Are not triggered by loss and grief
- Don’t mind that not a ton of action happens
- Want to read the book before you watch the movie on Netflix
- Want to get out of a reading slump
