Love & Olives

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I loved the interactions between characters and how Welch incorporated some heavier topics throughout.

As his lies begin to catch up with him, Sunny Dae is forced to wonder whether it was all worth it—and if it’s possible to ever truly change. I was especially impressed by the depth of the Atlantis theories throughout the book, which left me wanting to know more.I loved the culture and all the mentions of Greek food; my husband is Greek so I loved reading about things that I’ve come to learn over the years.

However, unlike Perkins’s books, they happen simultaneously, over the course of the same summer in three separate European countries. The other characters were also all very lovable (except Dex) and I loved seeing Liv grow so much in just 10 days.Liv is none too thrilled with this idea, but the more she begrudingly tags along on shoot days, the closer she grows to her father, to Theo, to Santorini, and to maybe believing that there’s more to Atlantis than she originally thought. I love how Jenna Welch has the ability to transport us to the locations of her novels, and, in this particular book, tackles serious issues such as abandonment and mental health. I could feel the author’s own enthusiasm for the subject come through in her writing, and it made me even more excited to continue reading.

I still had a hard time because I worried that somehow he wouldn’t be accountable for the hurt he’d caused. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but it was compared to Mamma Mia so I figured why not! So when teenage Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father, who explains that National Geographic is supporting a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and asks if she will fly out to Greece and help—Liv is less than thrilled. Although hunting for Atlantis made me hesitant about this book at first, I adored how it was woven into this story. Even so, she can’t help but be charmed by everything Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the sun-drenched villages, and the delicious cuisine.All the covers match, so this one isn’t reinventing the wheel or anything, but it’s cute and you know exactly where it takes place with a quick glance. I think the way the story explored the reasons why he disappeared and why he’d wanted to be a part of Liv’s life again were ultimately satisfying. Theo isn’t necessarily a new fictional crush of mine and I wouldn’t say him and Liv are my new YA power couple, but I didn’t mind their relationship. Overall, the father/daughter feels, beautiful Greek scenery, hunt for Atlantis, and cute romance, made this one a solid addition to the series! I could go all day with what I had problem with or think could be better, finishing with the fact that the author thanked herself in the acknowledgment, but I think I said enough and just want to read another book instead of talking about this one.

It wasn’t that big of a deal,” I said, doing my best to wave the whole statewide art competition thing off. The tension in this book was really well written and I thought some of the more serious themes like abandonment and mental health were handled with grace. The book focuses more on her relationship with her father ever since he left her and her mom to go back to his homeland, and less on romance. The main character Liv is an artist and seeing Santorini through her eyes made it an even more visual experience. Both have been comfort, easy reads for me, and I was so happy to see there’s an additional one, this time set in Santorini, Greece.There’s a lot of pain, regret, and more serious issues that weave themselves through the story, so Theo provided some comedic relief and a lighter side to contrast with the darker one.