Hi! I made
Chatterbox: Blab About Books
Hi! I made this thread specifically for me and Amethyst to chat about Love and Gelato on, but if anyone else has read it and wants to talk about it, feel free to join in!
I think this book is so cool bc it has two romance stories, not just one: Lina's, and her mom's. The thing I love about romance novels is that they're kinda predictable, but in a good way. You kind of know what's going to happen and the way that the author leads you to the end is what makes it a good book. Pretty much from the start of the journal I had a feeling that X wasn't Howard.
Also, the characters!! They're just so well written, it feels like they're real people. There aren't any Mary Sue characters, but they're still lovable. (Well, except for Matteo, but I think that's on purpose XD)
I was up so late last night finishing it, because once I get to the part in romance novels where everything kinda falls apart I literally can't bear it and have to get to the good part XD
Thanks for doing this! Bye!
(June 12, 2024 - 9:54 am)
Woo yes Love & Gelato!! I agree, it's so nice to have Hadley's story intertwining with Lina's - and I really just love Hadley's personality :D Ren is my first and forever favorite character in it (because, well, Ren <3), but Hadley is also one of my favorites. She comes across so clearly in the diary entries, and she's bright and interesting and sweet and like someone you want to meet.
Yes, the characters are well-drawn; Jenna Evans Welch isn't the best writer compared to some I've read, I think, but it feels as if she had a very clear image of the characters in her mind, and they come across super clearly. At the end of the book you feel as if you know them all - Thomas, and Howard, and Hadley, and Sonia, and everyone... also the whole feel of the book is so lovely, with the cemetary and Florence and parties, and everything sunlit and happy and making a whole separate world. The plot is dynamic and interesting, but at the same time it's all so calming and sweet. The romance is also the best - Lina and Ren are adorable together <33 I would honestly have been very happy if the book had gone on forever, and when I was almost at the end I absolutely had to go ahead and finish it, but I didn't really want to because then I wouldn't have any left :P
Love and Luck isn't really so good, in my opinion. As I said, I haven't read all of it, and Lina and Ren come in a bit of it!!!! which means squeeee!!!!! but Love & Olives is the other really good one, I think. Again, you fall in love with all the characters, and it's in Santorini so there are more lovely settings and it's all simply wonderful <333
Oh, and in Love & Gelato, the descriptions of Florence aren't really that accurate, according to my mom (she's been to Italy) - but oh well :)
(June 12, 2024 - 4:04 pm)
I agree, Lina and Ren are just the perfect couple. I knew from the start that they belonged together. And since it's so predictable I had a feeling that Ren would come back in the evening after they fought at the party, but that moment was even more amazing and sweet than I thought it was going to be.
Okay, good to know not to get my expectations too high for Love and Luck. I'm quite excited for Love & Olives, though.
Oh man, that's kinda annoying. But ig Jenna Evans Welch had to take some creative liberties to make it work for the story.
Sorry this took me so long!
(June 15, 2024 - 11:42 am)
I wasn't sure if Ren was coming back; I was fairly sure it was him when he started throwing coins, though :) Btw that was such an innovative spin-off of the throwing pebbles idea. Yes the ending was so utterly beautiful *sniffs*
Don't worry about taking a while, I haven't had time to post much for a while myself :) I'll probably be back with more observations later.
(June 16, 2024 - 9:46 am)
I read it a few days ago because why not y'all seem to love it and I'm trying to open my mind more to liking the romance genre and... this is why I don't usually read romance?? But I'm up for discussions if anyone wants! Don't read on if you don't like criticiscms Ik ppl sometimes read books like this to just enjoy it being set in Italy and romance and stuff not really for the criticsisms so that's why I put that warning there :) I just need to criticize stuff
I just didn't like the writing and everything was literally so predictable it was annoying, and besides, it was so predictable but the characters just didn't get it even though duh (in my opinion)... but that's just me. @WildWolf, what you said about liking the predictability of the genre and how how the author leads you to the end makes a book good or bad was really interesting! For me, it was just that everything was predictable and I didn't really love Lina as a character either and Ren was meh (it was just kinda cool meeting this guy you all were talking about... that was such a cool experience... I know that's a weird thing to say I can't put it into words it's just I feel like Ik him so well but only through conversations and other people I've never met him and meeting him... it's coolllllll :DDD) and every new place Lina was just freaking out like, "this is the most amazing place I've ever seen!!!!" and irdkk. WhenI say I didn't like the characters btw, it's mostly just they were all. So. Predictableeeee. Mostly the writing style and predictability. Hope I didn't offend anyone! And it's fine if you didn't read this, I just needed to get it out :)
(June 12, 2024 - 6:23 pm)
I keep rereading this and I see how sorta rude and presumptuous (can't think of the word, not presumptuous, but like you're just blowing by and paying no mind to the opinions of ppl around you) it sounds sorry :/ anyways wanted to say that bc it's been bothering me for a few days. Nothing really to do about it now, but sorry to everyone who read that
(June 14, 2024 - 2:27 pm)
Don't worry - if you didn't like the book that's totally fine, at least by me :) (I will admit I am sHoCkEd by the fact that you think Ren is meh >:0 but not at all offended) Lina isn't really my favorite character either, but oddly I think she's much too unappreciative of the fact that she's in Italy, and Howard is actually a nice guy... anyway, opinions~ Just wanted to say that don't worry about your comment; as far as I'm concerned there's nothing wrong with it :)
(June 15, 2024 - 10:56 am)
No worries! I totally get how her writing style isn't for everybody. And it didn't sound very rude to me, just voicing your opinion, which I'm totally fine with :)
(June 15, 2024 - 7:30 pm)
Oh, really? Huh. Ok then, thanks (@Amethyst and WildWolf)! And hee yeahh it's just Ren... I honestly thought he seemed a bit unfair to Mimi, if you know what I mean. And I think Lina was unfair to Mimi too, but eh. And yess Lina is so unappreciative of Howard and stuff, but I do get where she's coming from...
It also really confused me how Lina was like "I can't pronounce Italian r's" and so she couldn't pronounce "Lorenzo" and Ren was just like "it's okay I just go by the syllable in my name that literally STARTS with that r" and THEN she pronounces that fine it seems but maybe I'm missing something there (I probably am, I don't speak Italian)?? Or maybe "Lorenzo" has the Italian r but "Ren" doesn't...
(June 19, 2024 - 5:59 pm)
Well true, Mimi does end up out of luck (though I personally think she and Thomas would be perfect for one another :) ) But then since it's kind of implied that she's not that nice, it's a similar scenario to Lina ditching Thomas because he really isn't right for her. Ofc it's different because Ren and Mimi were already dating, but still... hmm that is a point though o_0
I think Lorenzo would have the Italian R and Ren wouldn't - because Ren sounds more American but Lorenzo is an Italian name?
Anyway, if you want to keep discussing, I'm very up for that :)
(June 19, 2024 - 8:36 pm)
Just fyi, I will reply soon. I just haven’t had the time to type anything long lately, sorry :/ :)
Addie says ”mmk, figures.” /mkfgu/
(June 13, 2024 - 8:05 pm)
Love and Gelato is such a good book! I love the characters, especially Ren cause like he's amazing but Lina I'd love to be friends with her! I loved the descriptions of Italy and all that too <3
(June 14, 2024 - 12:38 pm)
Yes Ren is amazing >:) I'm still in awe of Jenna Evans Welch's ability to know what someone like that would say and do... I mean I can picture Ren perfectly, but if I were writing him, I don't know how good I'd be at actually doing his dialogue and things. And I agree, the descriptions are so nice!! (Though like I said above, some details seem to be inaccurate :|)
(June 16, 2024 - 9:50 am)
Oh yeah totally agree <333 I wouldn't have a clue how to act him out but she does him up so amazingly! When I finished the book, I spent an hour pouting about how come I can't have a Ren in my life >:D also, I really, really wanted to try gelato (still do!)
(June 19, 2024 - 2:21 pm)
I know I wAnT ReN :> Actually, he reminds me a whole lot of the soccer player Ronaldo back in 2006 and 2007-ish? Like if you want to look up Portugal games from the 2006 World Cup, or an interview he had with Sky Sports about "the game that made Manchester sign him" - my whole family's really into soccer, so I've seen those, and he was very Ren-like. But honestly yes Ren is so sweet, and I'm also dying for some gelato; in fact all the food in there sounds so good (cornetta con nutella????) The whole book is so perfect <3
(June 19, 2024 - 8:42 pm)
Oh yes I totally agree!! If you want to literally see Ren (or at least my conception of him) have a look at "Cristiano Ronaldo on the game that made Manchester United sign him", he looks exactly like Ren. Plus they're both soccer players, and even the names are similar :)
(June 25, 2024 - 7:12 am)