Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch - ADVISABLE

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch, 300 pages. Simon Pulse, 2018. $19.  

Language: PG-13 (13 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH.  

Addie is in Ireland for her aunt’s wedding but is excited to go and visit her best friend in Italy with her brother, Ian, when the festivities are over.  Addie and Ian get into a huge fight about a secret that Addie is keeping, so their mother tells them that if they don’t get along they will both have to quit their high school sport teams. Ian had no intention of going to Italy, so Addie had to make a compromise and stay with Ian in Ireland.  As they road trip across Ireland with Ian’s friend Rowan, it becomes obvious that Addie isn’t the only one with a secret.  

Although there are a couple of characters that carry over, this book can be read separate from Love and Gelato.  The first half of this book was slow, and I hated the constant mention of Addie’s secret, without actually revealing the secret.  Addie was whiny and Ian was judgmental, but the last half came together, and I think Addie’s secret was well handled.  I liked that Addie’s family cared about her and tried to help her get through her mistake.  

C. Peterson.