Pack your bags and grab your sunglasses because we're headed to beautiful Santorini, Greece! Jenna Evans Welch is back with the third installment of her "Love & ..." series - Love & Olives. Fans of Welch are already familiar with the first two books in this collection - Love & Gelato, which features Italy, and Love & Luck, which takes place in Ireland. If you haven't read those two books, however, no worries because every novel in this series works as a stand-alone. If you love traveling to beautiful and interesting places, the "Love & ..." series is not to be missed. Olive can't help but feel abandoned by her adventure-seeking father. For as long as she can remember, he has always put his love for the Lost City of Atlantis before her. He finally left her for good when she was eight and headed home to Greece, and she hasn't seen him since. So she is less than thrilled when a postcard from her dad arrives inviting her to spend the summer in Santorini with him. Her father is being featured in a National Geographic documentary, and he wants Olive by his side. But why? Olive doesn't understand why her father is suddenly showing an interest in her, and she isn't very keen on heading across the world to support him on another wild Atlantis goose chase. Just what awaits Olive in Santorini this summer? Will she be able to work through the complicated feelings she has for her dad and enjoy this time for him, or will this summer be a total and complete bust? Jenna Evans Welch has a talent for bringing amazing, exotic locales to life, and Love & Olives is no different. Be prepared to taste, see, smell, and hear Santorini in all its gloriousness! Anyone who is suffering from wanderlust amid the COVID-19 pandemic should pick up Welch's "Love &" series, as she does such a good job of scratching that travel itch. Additionally, her characters are relatable and authentic, with varied depth and emotion. While it is easy to assume that Love & Olives is a love story (love IS right in the title), in this case, the "love" plotline is more so that of a girl and her father (although there is a love interest here!) Love & Olives explores the complex relationship between Olive and her dad, and unpacks a lot of their baggage on these pages. This book is an excellent choice for any teenager dealing with feelings of abandonment or suffering from an absent parent in their lives, as the father-daughter relationship is at the heart of this reflective, touching novel.
Availability: Book Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Love & Olives
GENRE: Contemporary Romances
THEME: Love Abroad (A travel adventure leads to everlasting love.)
STORYLINE: Character-Driven PACE: Fast-Paced TONE: Romantic WRITING STYLE: Engaging
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