photo home_zpspjo8kmb0.png photo about us_zpsarf3yetn.png photo reviews_zpshqab7na7.png photo book recs_zpsdmrlfetg.png



.

January 28, 2015

Review: Love, Lucy by April Linder - Wanderlust

Love, Lucy

Title: Love, Lucy 
Author: April Lindner
Publisher:
 HBG Canada
Publication date: January 27, 2015
 
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 304
While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too.

In this coming-of-age romance, April Lindner perfectly captures the highs and lows of a summer love that might just be meant to last beyond the season.
 
I am so surprised by Love, Lucy. Several days later and I'm still thinking about it. I loved everything about this book. It is set in Italy (at least over half of it), and the main protagonist is so likable. I truly loved the whole contemporary and wanderlust feel of it. By the end of the book I had the traveling itch so bad. Love, Lucy is the story of Lucy, who gave up her dream of acting for enrolling in business school at her father's alma mater. It isn't that simple, trust me. However as an appeasing gift, her parents send her on a month or two long european trip. The book doesn't cover the whole trip, but only once she arrives to her last destination, Italy. 
Italy holds a special place for me relative to all the other european countries. That is mainly because of all the stories I heard about it from both my parents when they visited it often as kids. Being only two hours away and living on the Mediterranean made it quite easy to go to Italy from time to time. Unfortunately I never went there so I experienced everything Lucy described for the first time.. from the streets, the people, the food, to the culture. One thing I could relate to Lucy is the need to get lost in a foreign country. I love just going where the path takes you, especially when traveling to foreign countries. It really is as serene and beautiful as Lucy described it. I truly felt how realistic the experience was for Lucy, it was like April Lindner actually walked the steps that Lucy walked, went through the same emotions as she did, and I love this authenticity in writing.  
This is a love story, but it is also a story about Lucy finding herself. It isn't about Lucy ditching everything and everyone and going after what she wants, but it is about making the best out of her situation and trying to turn hit into something she recognizes as her own. This realistic aspect of the book resonated with me. So many of us end up doing things to please the parents or to complete an obligation.. but not all of us get to have that movie happy ending where everything gets resolved and you get exactly what you wanted from the beginning. It's all about compromising and again, Lindner really wrote it superbly.  
I've been burnt quite often with abroad romance novels but I actually thought the romance in Love, Lucy was super cute, natural, and really fit well with the whole book. The guy didn't become Lucy's everything, and everything transitioned so well. The conflict was well played out and I really liked the love interest. This is not something I say often when it comes to this type of romance. I am so glad I gave Love, Lucy a chance because I ended up loving it so much. Bravo Lindner! 


4 comments:

  1. While I didn't really love/like this one (still not sure how many stars to give because I have so many issues with it), a lot of my friends loved it. I'm glad you did though! Although I do agree that it made me want to travel so badly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember following your updates for this one when you were reading it, so I'm glad that it really worked out for you Juhina. I love books which feature travelling in them, but more so when it is done well, it certainly makes me want to travel to all the gorgeous places mentioned too. I can't wait for my copy to arrive, so that I can get stuck into this. Lovely review! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this, Juhina! I've heard mixed reviews about it but it seems like such a promising story and I'm thrilled to hear it delivered. Lovely review, dear!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a good book!! Also I love reading books set in Italy and written by foreign authors, to see how my country looks like through other people's eyes :) So yeah, I'll definitely pick it up! *-*
    And we've made that clear, I'll trust anything you tell me when it comes to books recommendations Juhina! ;)

    Ps. I started writing posts both in Italian and in English on my blog, so you want to stop by I'd love that! :3
    http://frannieinthepages.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete