Love & Luck (Love & Gelato, #2)

by Jenna Evans Welch

Lisa Flanagan (Narrator)

Addie hopes that the road trip of a lifetime through the rolling hills of Ireland will not only bring the romance and adventure she so desperately seeks but also help fix the shattered relationship she has with her brother Ian after secrets come to the surface. When she discovers the guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, will it heal her broken heart... and her relationship with her brother?

• ISBN10: 1508233713
• ISBN13: 9781508233718
• Publish Date: 8 May 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 7 hours and 48 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[melanchalina]

Дженна Эван Уэлч "Любовь и удача"

8 из 10

Жанр: YA, современный роман
POV: от первого лица, женский
Геометрия чувств: нет (легкий намек)
Отличительные черты: дорожное путешествие, семейные отношения, тема дружбы

РЕЦЕНЗИЯ:
Ох, ну нравится мне, как пишет Дженна. По стилю и подаче историй я бы, несомненно сравнила бы автора с моей любимой Морган Мэтсон.

И Дженна, и Морган создают потрясающие душевные истории, где зачастую любовная линия занимает далеко не центральное место. «Любовь и удача» не исключение – это история о семье, дружбе и поиске себя, совмещенная с занимательным путешествием по Ирландии.

До поездки в Ирландию между Эдди и ее братом Йеном произошла крупная ссора из-за отношений между Эдди и товарищем Йена по футбольной команде. Эти отношения плохо закончились и произошло кое-что (что именно мы узнаем не сразу), о чем, по мнению старшего брата, обязаны узнать родители. Однако Эдди придерживается другого мнения. Она хочет справиться со всем самостоятельно и просто пытается залечить свое разбитое сердце. Все о чем она может думать – предстоящая поездка к лучшей подруге в Италию. Но как всегда бывает в книгах, все идет не по плану и вместо встречи с подругой, Эдди отправляется с братом и его другом в дорожное путешествие по Ирландии. Пускай это и задумывалось, как дорога на музыкальный фестиваль, на самом деле это путь исцеления и понимания.

История написана очень легко, приправлена потрясающим чувством юмора автора, но в тоже время в ней много глубины и смысла. Дженна также, как и в «Любовь и мороженое» очень реалистично переносит читателя в новую страну, и так живописно описывает все, что картинка так и встает перед глазами.

Мне понравилось, как Уэлч ненавязчиво, постепенно провела читателя к раскрытию тайны Эдди (хотя это и не было чем-то невероятным), связывая все события воедино, она также сделала это прекрасным толчком для дружбы между Эдди и Роуэном. Дружба основанная на общем горе, что может быть трогательней.

В романе вообще прекрасны показаны дружественные и семейные отношения, очень тепло и трогательно (что опять же меня отсылает меня к Мэтсон), а такие штуки я всегда просто обожала в книгах любого жанра.

В общем, подведу итог, вам стоит прочитать эту книгу, если вам интересны:
— харимазтичные героини с взрывным характером;
— тема крепкой и верной дружбы;
— потрясающая семейная динамика и теплые отношения между братьями и сестрами;
— книги о путешествиях.

Очень советую роман, сама я его проглотила за один заход.

[Stephanie]

Maybe more like 4.5 stars, but I rounded it up because this is the first book I was able to get through ever since I found out I was pregnant, which was about 6 months ago. I have started and stopped so many books in the past 6 months either because I was too nauseous to even look at a book or I couldn't focus on anything. So the fact that this book as able to keep my interest really says something.

The beginning was a little hard to get into, only because it was a little slow and the excerpts of the Ireland heartbreak travel guide were a little jarring at first. We're dropped right in the middle of an argument between siblings, which was hard to get into because we don't know why they're arguing. But once we get into the story and the traveling around Ireland, it gets good. I liked that the romance of the story was more of an undercurrent while Addie tried to mend herself and her relationship with her brother after what happened back at home. I definitely would recommend this book if you're look for a sweet, heartfelt read.

[nightingalereads]

*arc review*

A ballpark three stars. Jenna Welch's writing is as humorous, clever, and insightful as ever in this follow-up. Love & Luck follows Addie, the best friend of Lina from Love & Gelato, as she's on vacation in Ireland after undergoing a heartbreak back home. She's fighting with her brother, Ian, and decides to follow the instructions of an Irish guidebook on how to heal a broken heart. The author's descriptions of Ireland are vivid and beautiful, and I ended up enjoying Addie's character a lot more than I thought I would. The story is a road-trip adventure of sorts, which I always have fun reading. I will say, though, that I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one. The plot wasn't as solid, and some things that happened felt rushed and were beyond my bandwidth of belief. We do get to hear from Lina and Ren again, which I loved, but even their appearances felt a little shoved in. Overall, I'm still glad I read Love & Luck, even if it didn't quite live up to its predecessor.

[readingwithwrin]

Last year I read Love & Gelato and really enjoyed it so when I found out that there was going to be a companion novel I had to read it.



"Did you know that each leaf on a clover stands for something? They do, pet. Faith, Hope, and love. And should you happen to find one with four leaves? Well, that's the one that stands for luck."


Love and Luck follows Addie who is Lina's best friend who we first saw in Love and Gelato and knew a little about. Addie though is now in Ireland for her Aunts wedding and to then go to Italy and spend a week with Lina, or at least she was.

Instead, she ends up getting into multiple fights with her siblings including one who will not let her forget her mistake and constantly threatens to tell their parents for her. This makes for a rather long trip, but it also helps her learn something about one of her brothers (Ian) who has some secrets of his own and isn't as perfect as he seems.

This is the start of a secret Ireland trip that no one else is supposed to know about besides Addie, Ian and Ian's Irish friend Rowan. The trip is not without trials. The trio learns so much about Ireland and themselves (thanks to a travel guide Addie finds).

"But the label thing is part of being human, right? We like to categorize people, so everyone gets labels slapped on them whether they're right or not."We even label ourselves: Bad at math. Flirt. Clueless."They're never right. Labels aren't big enough for people. And once you try to categorize someone, you stop looking for who they actually are. That's why I like talking to Rowan so much. We're friends but completely out of context. I never thought someone I met online could be such a close friend, but I really needed a friend, and he was there."



Overall I really loved this book. It was a fun read that I needed to start my summer and who doesn't love learning a little bit about Ireland. If you're going into this book expecting a lot of Lina and Addie time you will be greatly disappointed. This book is truly mostly focused on Addie and the situation she is now along with tons of witty banter and sibling arguments. Seeing all the different sites throughout Ireland and the challenges that the group faced in not only getting to each destination but how it was also a part of helping them get over heartbreak was really cute and nice as well. I just really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I'm giving contemporary books more of a chance.



As for the big secret that this book focused on, kind of was just like meh to me. Yeah, it's a big problem and I wish Addie hadn't done that because theirs no way to make it go away. I just don't agree with the brother pushing her to tell so much, just chill man and let her get over the heartbreak it's not like someone is going to tell on her while everyone's in Ireland.

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[kymmiejournals]

I was reading the ebook, while listening to it's audio. Because reading the book alone is boring, so I had to listen to the same audio book to however make me understand the reactions of each characters. Still, it was boring so I stopped reading and listening to it. I know that Addie's relationship with Cubby and their past is a mystery but come on, just tell us what happened instead of going in circles.

[jeannamichel]

This was such an empowering and heartfelt story. A perfect summer read that you don't want to miss!

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch follows Addie on an Ireland road trip that guarantees to help mend her broken heart. Nothing has been the same between Addie and her brother, Ian, since the boy she liked broke her heart. Forced together on a trip under mom’s orders, the siblings will finally share their secrets and grow closer than ever before. This book is sure to leave a smile on your face, waiting for what Welch comes up with next.

Love and Luck is the companion novel to Love and Gelato, which released in 2016. Love and Luck follows Addie, a character introduced in Love and Gelato. However, readers do not have to read Love and Gelato to fully experience Love and Luck.

Whereas Love and Gelato gave us a gorgeous view of Italy, Love and Luck welcomes us to Ireland. The backdrop is absolutely stunning. Welch is able to describe the lush fields and precarious mountain sides as if readers are right there with the characters. To immerse readers further, there are several excerpts of a fictional guide book to Ireland between chapters. It truly inspires readers to want to see Ireland for themselves.

Love and Gelato was about finding pieces of Lina’s mother's past. Love and Luck is about mending a broken heart while on a road trip in Ireland. I find that I liked Welch’s previous novel a bit more than this one. However, it may have been in part, because Addie and Ian were fighting most of the time. The constant fighting between siblings is a bit exhausting. Addie and her brother, Ian, are in the throes of a dramatic sibling rivalry that is entirely believable and, at times, hilarious.

Jenna Evans Welch does it again with fantastic prose. Not only does the setting draw you in, but the writing keeps you suspended in the story. There just seems to be so much variety in her writing style. Her books are the perfect summer reads. The story is light, fun and adorable.

Addie is the main character who could easily be your best friend. Ian was a constant, ever-observant brother and by the end of the book, I quite missed certain characteristics of his such as his knee bouncing and his taste in music. It's the little details that Welch adds that makes these wonderful characters seem so real. Rowan is my favorite. His seemingly relaxed attitude mingled with his stressful background flushed his character out impeccably.

The cameo of Ren and Lina was adorable and despite, Welch keeping the romance to a minimum in Love and Luck, I'm happy that the two lovebirds of Love and Gelato did not steal the spotlight away from Addie.

The excerpts of the guidebook offered heartache homework guaranteed to help you mend your broken heart. It was fun to follow along in the guidebook and then to see how Addie and Rowan accomplished each task. The guidebook had me anticipating the next scene even more.

Welch keeps a secret from readers as a way to move the story along. It doesn't so much bother me as makes me interested into what she was hiding. She leaves it open for several guesses from readers. Along the road trip, clues are given in the tiniest amounts. Love and Luck is a contemporary treasure hunt that is sure to make you smile.

I would love a sequel or another companion novel. Welch left the ending open so readers can dream of possibilities. Even if it isn't another companion novel, I am wholeheartedly looking forward to another book by Welch.

For readers who love an amazing road trip, an outstandingly developed sibling relationship and a gorgeous backdrop, then Love and Luck is most definitely the book for you.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I didn't think Welch would be able to delight me in quite the same way she did with Love & Gelato, but she did! This book took me on a fantastic trip through Ireland, that was filled with friends, family, and fun.

Prior to their trip to Ireland, Addie and her favorite brother, Ian, had a falling out regarding her relationship with one of Ian's teammates. This relationship did not end well, and there was some fallout, which Ian believed required parental guidance. However, Addie was nursing her broken and betrayed heart. She just wanted to visit her friend Lina in Italy, and forget about the whole mess. A chain of events derailed Addie's trip to Italy, and put her on this "road to the Electric Picnic" with Ian and his Irish friend, Rowan. It may have started out as a trip to a music festival, but that road also led to a place of healing and understanding.

First and foremost, I LOVED being on this road trip. There were lots of snafus, which were amusing, but what really won my heart was the tour through Ireland. I got to revisit the sites I went to when I visited Ireland back in 2007. It was such a wonderful trip, and it was amazing being back there via Welch's story telling. Each location was incorporated into the story in such a meaningful way, and the addition of the guidebook just made each stop a little bit better.

The guided book excerpts were quite hilarious. Those snippets never failed to make me grin, but they also did a fantastic job setting the stage for the events that would follow. The tasks assigned at each stop by the "guide" helped us understand what really happened to Addie, little by little, and also served as a bonding point for her and Rowen. There's nothing like forming a friendship over shared heartbreak, and it was a really beautiful friendship that developed between Rowen and Addie.

There was an abundance of examples of fine friendships throughout this book. Of course, I cried when Addie or Lina talked about how vital their friendship was when Lina's mom was sick and later succumbed to her illness. I remember thinking what a wonderful Addie was to Lina, and later, Lina returns that friendship in a really special way. I don't want to say what happened, but there was this magnificent part at the Electric Picnic, which showcased this wonderful group of supportive and loving people Addie was lucky enough to have in her life.

Addie was not only blessed with amazing friendships, she also had a rather stupendous family. Her brothers were a lot of things, but there was no doubt that they loved their little sister. It was really sweet the way they wanted to defend and protect her, although she didn't really need it. I also fell in love with her mom. There were a few times in the story, where Ian and Addie shared some special memories of their mom, which were terribly sweet. Those recollections coupled with seeing their mom in action, solidified my feeling that Addie was truly blessed in the family department.

To summarize the things I found delightful:

☑️ A slightly broken, but fierce heroine
☑️ Amazing family dynamic
☑️ Incredible and scenic trip through Ireland
☑️ A serious issue that was handled quite well by the author
☑️ Robust friendships including a strong female friendship
☑️ Heartbreak, heartache, and eventually, healing
☑️ A fun musical journey

Overall: A beautiful story, which showcased the power of family and friends, and left me with a full and happy heart.


*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[girlinthepages]

*A huge thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!*
When I saw the corresponding cover of Love & Luck that matched Welch's charming debut novel, Love & Gelato, I knew I wanted to read it. When I found it out was a spin off of Love & Gelato featuring the protagonist's best friend, I knew I HAD to read it. I devoured Love & Luck quickly in one short weekend, and have officially decided that Jenna Evans Welch would be my ideal YA European tour guide, and I sincerely hope she continues to write books about teenagers finding themselves while traversing Europe.

Love & Luck picks up after Love & Gelato, following Lina's best friend Addie as she visits Ireland for a family wedding- which quickly fades to the background as a bigger issue presents itself: Addie is hiding a secret, a secret that's ripping at the seams of her relationship with her brother Ian, who's practically like a twin to her. After the wedding Addie and Ian find themselves on a road trip through Ireland with an unlikely tour guide instead of on the warm streets of Italy visiting Lina. I have to say, I LOVED the sibling feels in this book. Yes, there's some romance and friendship elements, but for a overall fluffier contemporary, this story really unpacked what it's like to have siblings who you're closer with than anyone else, who's sentences you finish and mannerisms you mimic, who can also get under your skin more than anyone else in the entire world. I LOVED seeing this portrayal between a brother and sister, and I love that even though the book is centered around Addie as a protagonist, I really got the sense that I truly got to know her brother Ian too (which is fabulous because there's not enough portrayals of male characters in YA who aren't love interests, if you ask me). Ian is a total secret cinnamon roll of a character and I just want to squeeze him.

The descriptions of Ireland were really breathtaking too, and I enjoyed Googling the sites they were at while reading about their trip and finding that most of the pictures matched what I had crafted in my head based on the narrative. Welch's descriptions of the color green were unreal and I feel like I will never really know what it means to look at the color until I go to Ireland. I could also picture the winding cliff roads, the powerful, frigid ocean beating against the cliffs, the charming little towns with their candy colored buildings and riotous pubs...needless to say, after reading this Ireland has moved up on my travel wish list. I also loved the inclusion of the passages from a guidebook that Addie finds for tourists with broken hearts. They were honestly super hilarious and sarcastic and broke up the narrative in a fun way.

My one complaint about the book is that I feel like some heavier circumstances took place (regarding Addie's "secret") and I felt like they were never given the proper amount of gravity or dealt with. There is an epilogue, but it wrapped things up a little to neatly for me. I understand that the focus of the story is much more on the summer in Ireland and Ian and Addie's relationship rather than the repercussions of Addie's secret, but given how much it was built up (I had so many theories) and the severity of what happened to her, I think it warranted a lot more discussion.

Overall: Love & Luck is a charming read that will make readers fall in love with Ireland, but also explores sibling relationships in a very raw and authentic way. I can't wait to see what other countries Welch features in future novels!

This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages