I was excited to see another look in the Love & Gelatos series because this is such a sweet and charming series. I especially enjoy reading it during the summer, or just when you need a refresher.

Much like the other books in the series, it is written in first person and features a young teen. Liv was briefly mentioned in the other book in the series, but I don’t think we know much about her. I was especially excited to read more about Greece since that is where Liv is from.

However, I did feel like this book was a little slow. There are quite a lot of details that I didn’t really think was necessary. It was simple and cute, but I think I was expecting a little bit more than that. However, if you liked the first two books, then you will probably like this too. It does have a slightly different feel to it though.

I would recommend this series to anyone who likes Sarah Dessen books. They remind me a bit of each other slightly, but I think Dessen tends to write about some more heavier topics.

So this is the first book I’ve read in this series, and I was blown away! Of course leave it to me to read the longest one too! It was a very big book, I mean over 400 pages! Greece is definitely on the list of places I’ve always wanted to visit. And the sound of the bookstore that Liv gets to stay in and spend a lot of time in is just perfect! I love the idea of all the homes in the cliffs and if I was ever going to meet someone and fall in love and get married, and had the money, I always thought a wedding on the cliffs there would be cool.

But besides the setting, which was a huge character in the story all by itself, there were the actual characters and they were perfect as well. Liv was a normal teenager in the way she felt about so many things as they related to her, not always seeing that there was another side, that her father had been her age once, that maybe there was more to the reasons he left and maybe she wasn’t remembering everything from her childhood correctly or accurately, but from a child’s experience and limited world knowledge. Her father was perfect, and I just knew his trips away were for a reason other than he was giving her, but even when we found out what they were for, there were still other things that popped up and surprised me and added so many layers to this story.

Of course I do love a good legendary myth or story like Atlantis, although it’s never been the one I’ve really thought about that much. But the way they explored it and all the different theories in this book were so interesting it definitely grabbed my interest.

And then there is Theo. I adored Theo. His sense of humor, his arrogance, he was just the perfect summer guy to be there not only as an antagonizer, but also as a comfort for Liv.

Luckily I’ve now got copies of the first two books as well, thanks to the publisher, and I can’t wait to dive into them! Although they are noticeably shorter books, so I should be able to get through them in no time, and I can’t wait to see what worlds they take me to, Italy, my ancestors’ home, and Ireland, which I’ve learned I have Irish ancestry as well, so that should be fun too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of Love & Olives in exchange for an honest review!

I have been eyeing the Love & Gelato series for quite some time & when I saw it was available to request, I decided it was time to take the plunge.

Reader, believe me when I say that I was not disappointed.

Throughout my time with Love & Olives, I felt like I was embarking on a mission alongside Nathan Drake or Indiana Jones. I need more adventures & traveling books in my life. It was such a joy & perfect for those with a case of Wanderlust. It was as if I was actually in Greece searching for the lost island of Atlantis.

I guess I was originally expecting this book to be more along the lines of a fluffy YA romance; instead, Love & Olives delivers a heartwarming (& at times, breaking) tale of a reunion between father & daughter. Love & Olives also touches on Mental Illness, which I can't really share too much on, because of spoiler-y reasons. Personally, I felt this was done very well.

I love the romance and the development between characters. #1 Theo Stan? That's me. This relationship felt real & didn't play too much on the frontlines. Having their relationship not be the center-attraction, truly helped us focus more on Liv's development as a character. In general, all of the characters are well-written & I absolutely love this cast.

There's nothing in this book that disappointed & I strongly recommend it!

A richly descriptive coming of age story about a girl named Liv who discovers love, Atlantis, and a relationship with her long-lost father whilst adventuring in Santorini. A fun-filled and emotionla YA journey with lots of wanderlust! I adore this book!

Blurb: Liv is forced to spend a few weeks with her estranged father in Santorini, leaving behind an angry boyfriend and a pregnant mother. Liv soon finds out that Santorini has so much more to offer than a mysterious father figure and a myth she thought she left behind. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

The descriptions of the island are breathtaking and well worth the length of this novel. I felt like I was on vacation. It was nice to get a little piece of the island life, while being stuck inside. Plus, Theo made this story one-hundred percent better with his suave good looks and quirky personality. This one is about so much more than Atlantis and I even found myself tearing up toward the end. A beautiful story with a lot of heart and soul!

This is the best book in the series! The characters are people I want to spend days with. I feel like I am getting a behind the scenes look at Greece. I loved exploring the history of both Liv and Santorini. While there were many areas that could be trimmed to help the book's pace, I was all in with Liv and Theo. These books would make great movies/tv shows.

I loved the first two books in the Love & Gelato series, and I loved this one just the same. Love & Olives takes you on a trip to Santorini, Greece, and makes you feel completely immersed from the beginning. I absolutely adored this book and all the characters that drew me into their stories. This was the perfect young adult romance book to escape into, but also a story about family and heartache. I really admired Welch’s ability to create a realistic father-daughter dynamic.

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.

And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

Olive was an honest and real young girl who I felt for throughout the storyline. She had a lot of validation for feeling the way she did towards her father at the beginning of the book, and I loved watching her blossom and grow as she explored her own self and what she really wants not only from her father but what she wants for her own future. I truly loved Olive’s spunk and strength as she works with her father all while avoiding the reality of their complicated relationship.

The banter between Olive and Theo kept the plot and story moving at a fun and fast clip. Theo’s ability to get Olive to think about who she really is and what the reality of her relationship with her father may truly be kept me engaged till the last page.

The dynamics and mystery of the relationship…well lack of relationship between Olive and her dad was the real driving force of the story. Watching Olive struggle with how she really feels about seeing her father for the first time and if she even wants a relationship with him kept the storyline realistic and moving at a fast pace. I won’t tell you all about her struggles or how it ends, but I will tell you I cried at the end.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a vacation or a way to escape into the pages of a heartwarming story and adventure.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Teen for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book almost made me cry, in a good way. And that almost never happens when I read, so this is one of the highest pieces of praise I can give. Love & Olives is a fun, cute, and quick contemporary that puts Liv on an adventurous journey of self-discovery when she travels to Greece to help her estranged father on a project. Liv is a likeable character that you will root for from page 1 on. She keeps her heart guarded at first, but it was wonderful to see her growth over the course of the story. Theo is a lighthearted character that helps Liv step out of her carefully constructed shell as she settles into her time abroad, and Liv frequently references how great of a comedic buffer Theo is between herself and her dad and the awkwardness that is still there. When they are out filming the documentary, I was briefly reminded of why I love to watch Josh Gates' show Expedition Unknown - it's not always about the end discovery, but more about the journey and what you learn along the way. (I only say briefly because this is still a contemporary romance, and not an explorer/adventurer show, though it does play an important part to the storyline. I just don't want to lead anyone astray with the connections I personally made.) I enjoyed the incorporation of creative pursuits for all the characters, but my favorite part had to be the bookshop. I was able to guess part of the ending very early on in the storyline, but the rest of the ending was a complete surprise and what almost made me cry. All in all, this was a touching read that I highly recommend.

One last note: I did read Love & Gelato before reading Love & Olives, but I have yet to read Love & Luck. I can say that you do not need to read Love & Gelato before reading Love & Olives. Each book follows a different main character to a different country, and that is what they have in common. They can be read out of order.

Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: I hope to buy a copy for my collection at some point, though I think I might wait for the paperback to come out since that's what I have for Love & Gelato, and I need matching editions. If you love contemporaries with some romance and adventure, you'll need it for your collection. I definitely recommend reading this book and series at some point though, so at least go borrow it from your local library.

Posted to Goodreads: Liv Varanakis has been missing her father since he left her and her mother when she was eight. Liv has a special bond with her father through their shared dedication to their search for the lost city of Atlantis. Now almost a decade later Liv has rebuilt her life and created a new identity. She is thrown when her father invites her to Greece to help him film a documentary for The National Geographic Channel. Liv finds herself in a country entirely foreign to her getting acquainted with the parent who abandoned her while also getting to know, Theo, her father's adorable assistant. Can Liv find her true self in a new land?

I had the same reaction to this book that I did to other books in this series. I generally liked the book, the characters, and the plot however I was not wowed by it. Welch gave the reader a fun, well-developed setting, and a fresh storyline dealing with family issues. However, the book was almost 500 pages long with very long chapters that made the pacing very slow. Yet, even with that issue fans of the other books in the series will enjoy this book.

For those of us that can't travel right now but still want an escape from reality then you must read Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch. This story will transport you to Santorini, who doesn't want to go to Santorini?! Olive (Liv) never had the best relationship with her father, as he ran off to Greece when she was 8 years old. So when she receives a postcard from her father asking for her assistance she heads to Santorini. This story does deal with some heavy topics such as mental health, loss, family issues, and forgiveness. But most importantly this book is going to make you want to book a plane ticket asap! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Jenna Evans Welch. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgally for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Greek setting, but I grew bored with the story because it seemed like nothing was happening. I did, however, like the "big reveal," and the way each chapter began with a "thing" that Olive's dad had left behind. The climax and conclusion are definitely worth it. This adorable YA romance will make you hungry for moussaka, spanokopita, pastries, and of course... olives.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

I had very high expectations when I began this book. Being a huge fan of Welch's previous two novels in this sort-of series, I was elated when I found out there would be a third installment. Taking place in Greece, it was a nice imaginary getaway, especially during this time of COVID-centered uncertainty. Welch truly made me feel like I was in their bookshop, and falling in love with the characters and the setting with the protagonist. Welch did a fabulous job of combining a wonderful romance with a beautiful backdrop and deep rooted familial issues. Unlike "Love and Gelato" and "Love and Luck", this book really goes into depth on some very serious issues regarding what it means to be a family, and mending old wounds caused by the ones we love most. The juxtaposition of the serene and innocent scenery and the tumultuous events going on inside the walls of Santorini is likely one of the most interesting thing about this book. My only criticism is that it was almost too perfect! However, that being said, some of the loose ends were tied up, while others were left open to the reader's interpretation, which is sometimes the best part of finishing a book. Overall, I would very highly recommend Welch's newest novel!

I absolutely adored this book! I loved the lush setting in Santorini, peeling back the layers of mystery surrounding Liv's dad, and the budding friendship/romance with Theo.

This book is really wonderful for escaping reality and being transported somewhere else. In many ways, the setting really is the star of the show -- and I don't think the story would be the same were it set anywhere other than Santorini. Indeed, I think the far-off locations are part of what make this series so wonderful.


The romance is more of a sideplot to the book, especially since Liv has a boyfriend back at home (albeit one she's not in a solid place with). But I absolutely adored Theo, and loved seeing their chemistry blossom. Their dynamic is really a driving force, and their conversations make for some of my favorite moments in the book.


And then there's Liv's dad, and the mystery behind why he left all those years ago, and what really prompted him to reconnect now. He's so well-loved by everyone she meets in Santorini, and she has plenty of fond memories from her childhood. But she can't let go of the fact that he left her. There's a huge disconnect, and much of the book is spent diving into what really happened.


Really the only thing that tripped me up about this book is that, back home, Liv's boyfriend is named Dax ... which is my baby son's name. So that was weird, but probably just a "me" thing! LOL.


No, honestly, this book was just a really delightful, sweet, and heartfelt escape from my world.

This book was just what I needed! Such a great escape! And it took place in one of my favorite places - Santorini!!


There were so many great adventures and many times where I found myself laughing out loud. Along with all of the fun, there were serious topics discussed, as well. Olive, a rising high school senior, gets an invitation to visit her father in Greece after he left eight years earlier. Taking this opportunity, Olive, “Liv”, has to come to terms with the imaginary armor that she has put on in order to protect herself from the past and is faced with the challenge of discovering herself while in a new country and surrounded by new people. Mental illness is discussed, as well. I thought it was a great mix of escape and reality and I would highly recommend it!

My favorite author has once again pulled off another eventful travel story, this time taking place in Greece!

Liv's father left when she was eight years old, so she doesn't have many good memories with him - only the ones where they planned to one day discover the lost city of Atlantis. Now, eight years later, he finally reaches out to her for help with a special project. A project concerning Atlantis. With no choice but to get on a plane to Greece (thanks to her mom), Liv sets out to the land her father grew up in and maybe she'll find something more meaningful than Atlantis while she's there.

This book was definitely more of a slow-burn read than the other books by Welch. I was captured right away while reading, but there were a few times that I felt like it was dragging, I guess? It could have been me though, since I've been in a weird mood for some time (plus, all the dang moving crap). Still, despite the story slowly building up, it was enjoyable to read. There was a lot of wondering why Liv's dad left in the first place, and why he was suddenly reaching out now.

As much as I loved Theo as a character and buffer to Liv and her dad, I wasn't all for the romance in this one. While I didn't like Liv's current boyfriend either, as he seemed super controlling, I didn't feel as though there was a lot of that romantic tension between Liv and Theo. I thought they just were better off as friends. I do commend Welch for keeping her characters in line and not having that whole "cheating" scandal included in her story. It's one of the reasons she's one of my favorite authors. She definitely keeps her focus more on the familial relationships and the romances come second.

The last few chapters of the book included information that I felt could have come a little earlier in the story, but still made me tear up and made up for having to wait so long to find it all out. It's revelation about mental illness definitely could have come in earlier, or there could have at least been more clues to that part of it. I sort of figured out the other reason Liv's dad kept going to Athens (I'm not giving any spoilers) but I was still surprised somewhat at the specifics.

As I said before, the story is definitely more about Liv and her broken relationship with her father that she now has a chance to fix. It was about loss, love, and forgiveness - things that we deal with all the time and are very real hurts in our world. It was heartwarming in the end, which I love to read, and it wrapped up the story nicely.

Love & Olives is another definite on my recommendation list! If you haven't already, you should pre-order it! Or pick it up at local bookstore on November 10th!

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review*

Olive has created a new life for herself, one she uses to protect herself and hide from her pain. Olive now goes by Liv now and while she pretends her life in Seattle among her friends, boyfriend Dax, and loving family is perfect, the reality is that Liv is hiding from some painful secrets. She hasn't seen her dad since she was eight and while her boyfriend has a plan for Liv to follow him off to college, Liv doesn't have the heart to tell him she might want something different for herself. When Liv finds out that her father's obsession to find the lost colony of Atlantis, the obsession that resulted in him abandoning Liv, is finally finding traction. National Geographic is planning to shoot a documentary centered around her father's theories about the golden city of Atlantis. An invitation from her father to join her in Santorini and some persistent badgering by her mother results in Liv flying to Greece. When she arrives, Liv finds it difficult and confusing to be around her father and even more difficult to share a room with her father's handsome and annoyingly enthusiastic protege, Theo. Olive used to love Atlantis and everything about Greek mythology however now Liv despises it and all the painful feelings it stirs up for her. However as they search for clues in Santorini and Liv spends more time around her father, she soon starts to wonder if the perfect life she has created for herself might be lacking some key elements.
Love and Olives is the third book in a series of contemporary romances set in varying cities. While the first two books are well worth a read, they are not crucial for understanding and enjoying this third installment. The romance is a bit of a slow sweet burn, expertly paced throughout the course of Liv's journey through Santorini. The beautiful and historic city of Santorini creates a perfect backdrop and will allow travel lovers the ability to experience the Greek countryside from the comfort of their own home. History buffs will delight in the details regarding Atlantis and the mystery elements regarding the mysterious lost city central to the plot. While the tone of the story is light overall, there were some serious topics that were explored with great care throughout such as anxiety, mental health and depression that many readers will relate to. I highly recommend Love and Olives for readers looking for a story with a little travel, a little adventure, and lots of love

First and foremost, I ADORE this companion series. I love how all of the titles are stand-alones but have corresponding titles and covers that are so simple but so effectively capture the magic of these European stories of self discovery and exploration. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I wish Ms. Welch could be my own personal European tour guide because every single one of these books makes me feel as though I just went on vacation!

While I've enjoyed each book in this series for different reasons, I think Love & Olives by far had the most breathtaking settings and descriptions. Set in Santorini, Greece, Liv's exploration of the island is absolutely incredible, from the criminally beautiful sunsets to the insanely blue water to the most perfect open-air bookstore one could imagine. I found myself obsessively googling the locations Liv visited while there and found the images online to be on par with what the writing described, and sometimes the book descriptions were even more magical than the actual images! Coupled with the fact that Liv is an artist and is viewing everything through an artist's lens, it was just an incredibly beautiful book about an adventure set abroad (I am not an artist by any means but I was swooning over the pastels she received as a gift that had custom made shades inspired by the island itself!)

At the heart of the novel, like most of Welch's stories, is a family relationship. Liv is sent to Greece under protest to visit her father who she hasn't seen since she was eight years old. He also happens to be an avid Atlantis hunter, and she's to assist him with an Atlantis based project while she's there. It was fascinating to learn about the history of Atlantis in this book (I had no idea so many cultures have their own lore and theories surrounding the mythical island) and to see Liv's own conflicted emotions and feelings about it- how it's so tangled up with her relationship with her dad. Heck, this book made ME want to believe it Atlantis.

While Love & Olives gave me the literary vacation I definitely needed during this quarantine-ridden summer, I have to say that I did struggle with the pacing of the book for the first 70% or so. There was a lot of lack of communication or miscommunication happening and while the last 20%-30% of the book was really rewarding and tackled many tough family topics (abandonment, mental illness, etc) with grace, the narrative leading up to it felt somewhat repetitive and stagnant (a lot of time was spent on Live ruminating over the same conflicted emotions about her dad or wanting to avoid getting the truth from him, and I was starting to wonder if we ever would...) I think the novel was a tad on the long side which impacted the overall pacing for me.

There were some really excellent secondary characters who fleshed out this story as well, from Liv's loving family back in Seattle who she can always rely on (her ninja brother, her friendly step-dad- love to see positive stepparent representation!) to Ana who co-owns the book store with her father and has a killer sense of fashion to Henrik, the boy she meets on the plane who pops up later on in the story, it was nice to see Liv have a fleshed out support system in this story. [spoiler]I also almost got teary eyed at the end when her mom, who is in her third trimester of pregnancy, flew ALL THE WAY from Seattle to Santorini on a moment's notice when she thought her daughter needed her *sniff*[/spoiler] I have to say though I wasn't super impressed by Theo's character and found his charm and persistence to be more annoying rather than endearing (his lack of boundaries often frustrated me).

Overall: Love & Olives is another solid installment of Welch's breathtaking European adventure series and I sincerely hope she continues writing in this world- there are so many more countries I need her to guide me through on vacation! :)

What a meaningful story that explores themes like abandonment, mental health, falling in love, and of course Atlantis. I adored the Greek setting and Santorini has been added to my list of places of places to go. The father-daughter relationship was really well done and was touching to read.

CW: illness, mental health, abandonment

I read the first two books over the summer and fell in love right away, so I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint!

Love & Olives drew me in instantly with the setting of Greece and the fun story of Atlantis. I’ve always wanted to visit Greece and I had google going constantly while reading so I could look up everywhere mentioned.

I just want to get the things I didn’t like out of the way:
1. I wish Olive broke up with Dax right away. Her tension with Theo made me really uncomfortable knowing she has a boyfriend back home.
2. Nico being sick. I had my suspicions the whole time, but it still somehow came as a shock. I actually tried to look up spoiler reviews ahead of time to see if he died because I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish the book if so.
3. I felt like Olive’s art could’ve played a bigger role. It was brought up so often but I feel like nothing came of it?

Now the things I loved: everything else. Jenna Evans Welch described Greece so beautifully, everything felt magical. I felt transported to Oia with Olive.

This book felt much faster paced than the first two, which I loved! It was like we got to spend a full summer in Greece searching for Atlantis, even though it was only two weeks. More so than the others, I could really see this book being made into a cute Netflix movie.

Love & Olives also felt the most serious of the books. I felt an actual pang in my chest pretty much the whole time I was reading. I so felt for Olive grappling with seeing her dad after all those years. And it was painful to experience Nico trying so hard. This book was really full of emotion. I actually cried most of the last two chapters 😅

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Nine years ago, Olive's father left and never looked back. That's when she reinvented herself as Liv. But recently, he reached out, and now Liv was on her way to Greece to help her father in his search for Atlantis. Though she was struggling with her feelings about the trip, she hoped for the best. But would she be able to put the past aside and work on rebuilding her relationship with her father?

I am very much a fan of this series and was SO excited when I heard there was going to be a third book! Once again, Welch swept me away and took me on an adventure. This, to me, is one of the strengths of this series. I have serious wanderlust, but since I cannot really go anywhere right now, it's a treat to travel via a book. In this installment, Welch took me to Greece. She immersed me in the sights and sounds and flavors of Santorini, and I enjoyed drinking it all in. While reading this book, I found myself googling images and lusting for Greek food.

One part of the story involved Liv, her dad, and Theo making a documentary about the search for Atlantis. The hunt for this mythical island was a big part of Liv's childhood and instrumental in bonding her and her father together. It was their "thing", which she had abandoned when he abandoned her. Obviously, there were lots of emotions to deal with here, but there was something that just pulled both Liv and I into this quest. The Atlantis sub-plot was very interesting, and I enjoyed learning about it.

This summer was such a turning point for Liv, too. In becoming "Liv", she gave up many parts of herself or kept them hidden. It seemed to me, that she was growing tired of playing that part. This reunion with her father reawakened things inside her, both good and bad, and forced her to reconcile with many things she had buried. I enjoyed seeing her inner Olive reawakened and was especially moved when she finally tackled her toughest obstacle and confronted her father.

This story was like a wave. It built up until it knocked me down. There were serious tears towards the end there, but they were a mix of happy, sad, and relieved tears. As always, I relished traveling with Welch. I had an amazing time exploring Greece with Liv with the bonus of hunting for the legendary Atlantis, basking in all the familial love, and watching a sweet romance blossom. I really hope Welch has more travel plans for us in the future, and you can bet I will be the first to have my bags packed and ready to go.

Olive's father Nico abandoned her years ago to live and work in Greece. She loved Greek myths and the story of Atlantis as much as her father then, so when he sends her a postcard asking her to help with the filming of a documentary about Atlantis, Olive decides to go. She also hopes to reconcile with her father and learn more about the man who left her behind so long ago. On arriving at the island of Santorini, Olive makes her best effort to reconnect with her father, though it doesn't go smoothly, and his apprentice Theo is distractingly handsome. As Olive and her father work on the documentary, and she gets to know Santorini and Theo better, Olive realizes that the real reason for her trip has little to do with her father's documentary, and the answers she finds on the island will change her life forever.⁣⁣
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I was already sold from the moment I heard this story is set on the island of Santorini, and also that it's inspired by Mamma Mia! There's even a bookstore by the sea, be still, my heart! Love and Olives is the third story in the Love and Gelato series, though it works just fine as a standalone novel. The documentary aspect was interesting to me because I love mythology and the story of Atlantis, which was all nicely woven into the story as Olive and her father work through the pain of the past and the reasons why he couldn't be there for her. Mental illness is addressed with sensitivity and care, and that added an important, meaningful aspect to the characters and story. The ending is engaging and heartfelt, and I got a lot out of this seaside venture. I recommend Love and Olives for those who enjoy YA Romance, stories about complicated family matters, and lovers of all things Greek, Mamma Mia, Santorini, Atlantis, or mythology. Drift away in the Mediterranean today!⁣⁣