Q U I C K S T A T S
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing style: ⭐⭐⭐
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
T H E B O O K
// Content Warning: Alcohol use / Death of grandparent (off-page, main theme) / Dementia (early on-set) / Gaslighting / Grief (main theme) //
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Age rating: 14+ (excessive swearing)
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pub date: 10/11/2020
P R E M I S E
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.
M Y R E V I E W
↬ PRE-THOUGHTS
Lila's skills are portrayed to be Gordon Ramsey level and I will not rest until I taste her food.
↬ PLOT
This story follows Lila who was sent to England by her family in order to take care of her mental health which was pretty shitty if I do say so myself. And as romances go, she meets this cute blond guy who makes all her dreams come true blah blah.
There was not much of a plot to begin with: she broke up with her boyfriend and came over to England and quarter of her parent's intentions was to help her get over him. At some point she was over him; I believe but then guy facetimes her or something and that lasts for half a chapter and then dude just disappears off the face of earth. Like? Bestie where did you go?!
↬ WRITING AND SETTING
Taking into account that this book is aimed at a younger audience, I was disappointed by the excessive swearing present. I mean dropping the occasional f-bomb around is alright but yeah this is not a book which should have lots of curse words.
↬ CHARACTERS
Lila's character wasn't completely developed and while she had her strong traits such as being proud of her cooking/ baking abilities and helping spice up England's taste buds, she could've been written much better.
Orion was the default Harry Styles but blond and I'm so confused on why there's legit no one besides Lila after him.
His sister though, *chef's kiss*. My favourite character out of the lot. She was the most developed and the only three-dimensional person in the entire book.
↬ CONCLUSION
Pros: Orion
Cons: Read this review
Overall rating: 4/5
T R O P E S
Friends to lovers
R E P R E S E N T A T I O N
Cuban-American main and side character
Bisexual side character
S I M I L A R B O O K S
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
↬ 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.
Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale
↬ Rule #1 - Never fall for a summer boy.
Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.
And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had - to never fall for a summer boy?
A D D I T I O N A L R E S O U R C E S
F I N D M E
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