Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more. 

This was a great book to kick-off my summer reading! I loved the whole Italian experience that came with this book and it has me wanting to get a plane ticket and just spend the next few months in Italy! Heck, I felt like I was there – it was written beautifully!

I loved getting to know Lina’s mom through her old journal. It was the perfect way to intertwine the present with the past and help Lina make sense of why her mom wanted her to go to Italy.

The story had its ups and downs, but overall it was a light read (which wasn’t to be totally expected with the beginning of the story). I enjoyed the mystery of Lina’s father and how that turned out. Another aspect I loved was the character growth and the budding romance between Lina and Ren.

Overall Love & Gelato had me feeling giddy at the end and I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5/5 stars