Review: Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 3rd/2016
Pages: 389
Type: Hardback
Rating: 5/5
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What It's About! 

“I made the wrong choice.”

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 get 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 Lina, 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.

Review

I absolutely LOVED Love & Gelato. It was the perfect mix of romance, secrets, friendships, and adventure! Once I started reading it, I could NOT put it down, it was just such a sweet and breezy read!

One thing I really liked about this story, was we got a small glimpse of her mother in the very beginning of the book, and we know her as the main character knows her. Or what she THINKS she knows. I loved how things didn't go how she thought they would, how they turned out BETTER than expected. I also loved the way she got to know her mom, about her past, and how certain people had come to be in her life.

The story takes place in Italy, and I have never really thought about going there, but after reading this book, it made me immediately want to jump on a plane and go! Honestly I didn't really have any expectations going into this book, and didn't really know much about it, so it was a very pleasant surprise by the time I got to the end of the book. I cannot say enough good things about Love & Gelato. However, if your looking for the perfect, easy, light summer read, this would definitely be it!

Ghost House

Ghost House (The Ghost House Saga #1) by Alexandra Adornetto

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 26th/2014
Pages: 320
Type: ARC
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What It's About!

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Review

I honestly don't even really know how to start this review. I liked it, and I WILL read the second one (there better be a second one from the way this one ended!), buuut..the writing. It was readable, but felt like a 10 yr old wrote it. If it wasn't for the fact it was a ghost story, I probably would have never bothered reading after the first chapter or two.

Ghost House was okay-good. It had a lot of potential. I really loved the idea of the story. The author could have done SO much better with this book. I actually kind of wish another author had wrote it...

Maybe if your 15, you'll love this book. I'm a huge ghost story lover and I could have liked it a lot more than I did. The characters were pretty flat, they did have their moments throughout the book though. Also, the "chemistry" between Chloe, the main character, and the ghost, Alex, was practically non-existent, yet they're supposed to have had this whole romanitcal commitment or something...still not sure on that.

Then there's Joe, who I guess is supposed to be "the other guy" and suddenly she seems like she can't choose between either guy but none of them have built up any chemistry and it was all so bland and flat. Like, I don't understand how you can have this undying love for this ghost you just met and know nothing about, haven't spent barely any time with, and then start to become friends with Joe and he's got this some-kind-of-love thing for Chloe--When did this happen again?

Another thing I didn't really get was the ghosts in the beginning, what did anything have to do with them? I thought at least by the end of the book we would get some kind of explanation, but nada.

The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because it was a good effort trying to write this book and I love ghost stories.

Secondly, the only reason I'm even going to read the second one is because                                                     **SPOILER ALERT BELOW**

 

Chloe moves back home and goes back to school and somehow Alex the ghost shows up as an actual boy at her school. ? ?! ???!!! 

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