Lina's mother makes her promise that she has to go to Italy. Lina doesn't know why her mother would want that but promises it anyway because it's her mother's last wish. After the loss of her mother, Lina finishes her school year in Seattle and then moves out to the country she didn't want to go to. There, she is confronted with her mother's memories and above that she finds out why she is in Italy. Her mother wanted her to go to find her father and together with the journal she'll discover much more than only that. Lina meets a new friend, which makes her time in Italy more interesting and together they find out the real truth about what happened in Italy...This was the book I actually wanted to take with me when I was touring around in Italy but unfortunately the book got postponed and I had to pick another book that was set in Italy: Love, Lucy. The day I went to Italy, Love & Gelato was delivered at my house and I was so disappointed it wasn't there the day before because I realize now that this book... would've been the perfect book for my trip!
First off, let's discuss the characters! Carolina or as everyone will call her in the book Lina. She's one hell of a girl, and I say that mostly because she's been through a lot. She lost her mother when she's just sixteen and now she had to move to Italy because she promised her mother. Fulfilling her mother's last wish, Lina can't stop plotting her escape! She didn't want to be here because she doesn't know what her mom expects from her.
With this I mean the following: she's living with her father. The father who hasn't been around for sixteen years, so I did understand why she didn't want to hang around. Yet there comes a certain moment in the book where she almost forgets all about it and will stick around longer than she had expected to.
One of her father's coworkers gives Lina a journal, one that her mom has send her a while back. Lina'll have a difficult time with having it around because it constantly reminds her of her mother. What I admired a lot in Lina was the fact that she kept really strong. She didn't want people to baby her or act weird around her and she's in a whole new different environment and then gets a journal in her hands,... This is hard stuff for her and that's why I admired this character the most. She will show her weaknesses and let her guards down every so often which shows you the realistic side of losing someone very close.
But we'll also see Lina grow to become a better version of herself that has conquered it all. One version that will show you things won't always stay bad and it will get better as long as you go for it 100% and try. This book really focuses on the trying because Lina will try to be on her best behavior, try to be her best self, try to become comfortable again and happy but also try and go through with what her mom asked her to do: find her father. Together with the journal of her mother, we see her grow a lot in the book! Lina will have to make a lot of decisions and what I liked most about this character was that I could easily project myself in her shoes and understand why she decides this or that. Or why she feels the way she's feeling. This was a major asset to this character and of course to the book!
Another character worth discussing is Howard. Howard is the one Lina will be residing with during her visit in Italy. He's somewhat uncomfortable in the beginning and doesn't really know what to do with a teenager under his roof. What I admired the most in him was that he did try and made the best of it. Another thing that he contributed a lot to the story were parts of history. He's very interested in it and during the book we will see him telling stories that I found very exciting as well as interesting.
Other than that Howard is a very relaxed guy that has weird hobbies during the night and is very laid back which I certainly appreciated about him. He's a very open person and does his best in life to keep very positive. We'll also find out a little bit more about his past, which was interestingly exciting and sometimes a bit sad but I really enjoyed to get to know him better!
The last character I want to discuss is the first friend Lina makes in Italy: Ren, which is short for Lorenzo. I won't tell you why Lina calls him Ren because I think it was pretty funny to read the reason which is why I want you guys to find it out on your own. Ren is a lot like Howard, he is laid back and always tries to be positive. But he was also a genius, very weird at times and he said what he thought. These are the things I really liked about him because I can easily relate to him and also understand him. Above that, he's always in a very good mood and is really funny! I was very keen on him because he didn't act strange around Lina because her mother died. He payed his respects and then tried to make the best of it by showing Lina around in Florence and give her a good time. Yet he's also there when she needs a friend and will always help her out. He's like the perfect best friend mixed together with his weirdness!
There will follow a lot more characters that come and go in the story, most of them are friends of her mother and because of the journal we'll get to know them on a more personal level. The thing is, we often never met them but at the same time we did because of what Lina's mother wrote down about them. This was a very nice thing in the book, discovering her friends without meeting them. The journal gives you detailed versions of her friends and that way you get to know them.
But there are also new friends that Lina has made during her stay in Italy. Each and every character has its own way of expressing him or herself and is very unique. That's what I was fond of: the uniqueness in each character, but also their behavior. The characters will almost always be identified by their characteristics which was also a great asset because it gave away how they acted and how they were.
Now the plot, if you think this is only about love and gelato, then I already will tell you: it's not. Of course these two will come around in the story: you're in Italy how can there not be love or gelato?! But this story has another side too that's very important to the plot!
As I already said, Lina receives a journal of her mother. This journal will describe the memories her mother had when she was in Italy. As a reader you will discover how her mother was and what she enjoyed the most. The journal will be very important in the book because it makes sure Lina will take a leap in the dark and discover new things. What it felt like for me was the following: her mother is her tour guide in Florence. She's not longer alive but she still lives in her memories. Lina will discover so much about her mother and will visit the most beautiful places in Florence together with her mother because of what she has written.
I really enjoyed the concept of the journal because her mother describes everything so well, it felt as if I was back in Florence. Florence was my favorite city in the ten days I was in Italy and I was very pleased in reading it and be able to visualize every places there was described. If you haven't been to Italy or Florence for that matter, don't panic! The descriptions will be so clear and so easy to visualize, you will devour the city in no time! Above that, it's also Lina's first visit and she will add more to the descriptions and add her own thoughts which made it all the more spectacular to read.
The journal will not only bring the most beautiful places of Florence, it will bring much more! The first thing it brought was a close friendship between Lina and Ren. This due to the fact that Lina trusts Ren a lot and will tell him about the journal. He will show her the places in Florence himself which made this friendship absolutely solid, strong and interesting!
The best thing the journal brought was an adventure, not only discovering Italy through the eyes of her mother but it will also bring her secrets. Lina often asks herself if this was really her mother because she sees such a whole different side of her, so when the mysterious secrets come up she questions herself more. This will become the adventure of a lifetime! I was so into it and I wanted to discover the truth as badly as Lina wanted it herself. That's also why this was such a good book: you were able to really throw yourself into it and enjoy it, this all the while you waited with suspicion on a new lead to the truth. Who wouldn't want to know the truth when the first sentence in the book is "I made the wrong choice"? It gives unexpected twists and turns and will give you so much mystery it's hard not to keep reading on! The mystery will just add so much more dimension to the book!
Another thing I want to point out is that there are also Italian words and sentences in it which I was so glad about! We're in Italy, some Italian should be in it. The author did really surprise me with adding this because I never thought there would be Italian in it. Of course, I didn't understand all of it but then there was the context and sometimes translations (by the characters) to make clear what was said but overall, many of the words were understandable!
We'll also be able to read the journal of her mother ourselves because Jenna Evans Welch made sure there were dates and another font which made it clear that you were now reading the journal. Again, I really want to say it was a great asset to the book because it showed you how her mother was but also gave away her memories, descriptions and of course caused much more thrill and suspicion in the book. It also shows sides of Florence I didn't know of such as secret bakeries!
The last thing I really want to point out are the resemblances between Carolina and her mother. While you're part of Lina's story, you're also part of her mom's memories. After reading the book, I was so content that I started thinking about it really deeply and found out there are so many things alike. Not only their stories show identical aspects (but then in a different time and of course with each its own differences) but it also showed you, as a reader, they were really mother and daughter and that was something I really appreciated!
As for the author, I really want to congratulate you! This was your first book ever but it was, still is, a masterpiece! I never expected to receive a story like this. It made me get lost in the streets of my favorite city but also showed some other cities. It make me fall back in love and made me want Italian gelato but it also made me wait in suspense and gave so many mysterious leads, thrill, secrets and plot twists. Next to that, the friendships that were created were absolutely stunning to witness. I really hope you'll write more books so I can devour those too! You did an absolute great job with this debut book. Love & Gelato is an absolute summer read! And if you didn't get the clue yet: Sì, io raccomando questo libro! Let's hope that translation was right... anyway: I do recommend this book. If you want to wander through the streets of Florence and want to fall in love with it, dream of gelato and above that receive a big dose of mysteries created by a journal full of memories? Then this is your read. I promise you this book is absolutely amazing and will give you so many things to adore about it, you can't do anything else but devour it.
"I made the wrong choice."
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