I. Am. In. Love. With. This. Book.

This book was amazing. I waited for it for months and I'm so happy that I got to read it. Greece has been my dream destination since I was a child and I'm so happy that Jenna Evans Welch wrote this one.

Like her first two, this novel is about a girl abroad. Olive "Liv" Veranakis is convinced by her mother to spend two weeks in Greece to see Liv's estranged father, who left her when she was 8 to find the lost city of Atlantis.

It's filled with adventure and exploring and love. It's well written and it made me want to go to Greece more than ever.

Read it, you won't regret it!

With thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Since reading Love & Gelato and Love & Luck I've been hoping for another book to come out to transport me to another fabulous destination. And Love & Olives does just that. I felt like I was exploring Santorini with each turn of the page. It felt like an absolutely lovely summer vacation! I am definitely adding the Atlantis Bookstore to my travel wish list.

I enjoyed getting to know Olive (also known as Liv) and her family and friends. An in-depth look at a deeply layered father-daughter relationship, particularly Olive's realization that while for most of kids' lives their parents are supporting cast members, parents actually have stories of their own.

“All of my understanding of yachts came from music videos. At some point would everyone start throwing dollar bills in the air while we all dove into the ocean?
It’s possible I was overthinking this.”

The overall plot of this book was pretty well thought out, and I found myself pretty invested in Liv’s family.
It was really sweet, but it was also … really long. I just felt like I was wading through it for hours on end. There is just not enough happening in this book for it to justify being this long. There are a lot of fun moments sprinkled in, but the story itself does not really progress much until the very end. They spend around 85% of this book being tourists. I don’t know if that’s just the point of this series, or if I’m being overly cynical, but it was not exactly the most gripping stuff.
I also can’t get over just how perfect Theo is, and I don’t mean that in a good way. He has no flaws. He’s got movie star looks, is so sweet, and is so smart and genuine. People like this literally do not exist in real life, and the oversimplification of his character is really weird.
That being said, Theo is a highlight for sure, tied with Julius. Julius is Liv’s adorable younger half brother. Though he only makes a few appearances, he definitely stole my heart ("I had a text from James’ phone: LIV ITS JULIUS IT IS OK TO LOSE TO YOUR OPPONENT BUT NOT OK TO LOSE TO FEAR”).
Liv, is honestly a little stressful. She keeps panicking over simple things, and is actually pretty rude. She keeps trying to defend her boyfriend’s possessive and immature behavior, and is honestly just spending way too much time worrying about all the wrong things. She’s also criminally self-centered. I understand that a lot of her less savory character traits are born out of the abandonment and confusion that she felt when her dad left, but still. It’s annoying. (Side note: Theo was abandoned by his dad and he manages to not act like a jerk, so I feel like this is Liv’s problem, not her dad’s.) Being juxtaposed with Theo absolutely does not help her case; he’s eager and curious and helpful and kind where she’s grumpy and petty and fake.
Overall, the idea of a father and daughter trying to bond over an insane adventure that defined her childhood is really interesting, and the climax and ending are well done. However, the book drags on inexplicably, and the protagonist starts to get on your nerves very very early on.

Welch is a fan favorite in my classroom. Love & Olives is going to be a huge hit. The relationships are engaging, authentic, and relatable. The deep dive into the Atlantis story could have been overbearing, but it wasn’t. It provided a framework for the relationships between Liv & others to be bigger than just familial or romantic encounters. Dax is the one character who was lackluster for more than just the stereotypical jock/manipulative boyfriend role.

The book also manages to portray a relationship with boundaries. While the romantic overtures are present, they reflect an innocence that is refreshing.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book!
I have been a fan of Jenna Evans Welch since the debut of the first book in this series- Love and Gelato 🍧. I adored Love and Gelato. I liked Love and Luck. ( It was set in one of my favorite countries. Ireland 🍀 )
Love and Olives now falls between the middle of those. In the number two spot if I had to rank the books.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my advanced copy.

What I loved-

✨ The Location- In a present day world with so many restrictions Jenna Evans Welch takes the reader to Santorini. This book also gave me all the summer vacation vibes. I’m about to sound so old but here it goes . I love YA books set in summertime because it makes me nostalgic for my youth 😂. Summer break and vacations. Being between grades in school especially that summer between 11th and senior year. It was my best.

✨ The Writing- Even though I may not necessarily be the target audience the writing was beautiful and not overly simplistic. Readers of all ages can easily be sucked into Love and Olives as well as the other two books in this series.

✨ Olive, Liv, Indiana Olive, Kalmata - the amazing main character with so many names. I loved Liv. I thought she was so well developed. She was relatable in many ways. I really identified with her.

As great as Olive is there is also an amazing cast of side characters. I was impressed with the fact that Jenna Evans Welch spent the time fleshing out Olive’s character and also made time to make sure that the supporting cast of characters was also unique and distinguished. I’ve read books in the past where one or two characters stand out and the rest kind of blend together and that was not the case with this book.

✨ Heavier Subject Matter- this book touches upon anxiety and mental illness. I felt like it was handled well but now that I’m reflecting on what I’ve read it was kind of used as a plot device. It didn’t bother me in the least bit but may be something other readers are sensitive to.

✨ I may or may not have cried- just a bit. Props to the author for making me so connected to the story that I was able to feel such a strong emotion. It’s been a minute since a book has made me cry.

Overall - I highly recommend this book. Although it is part of a series you can read it as a stand alone. I really hope this series isn’t over. I’d love a fourth installment.

Side note- did not know Jenna Evans Welch was Richard Paul Evans daughter. That’s pretty cool. Always read the acknowledgements and authors notes when finishing a book friends! You may just learn something new ♥️.

My favorite of the author's "Love & Gelato" series! High-schooler Liv is spending the summer in Santorini with the father she has not seen in years. While working with her father (and a cute boy named Theo) on a documentary about Atlantis, Liv discovers things about her father's life and his reasons for leaving that change everything. A really wonderful exploration of a complex father-daughter relationship enhanced by a vivid setting.

Thank you NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Thai book was adorable, and a perfect addition to the other two in this “series”. The author does such a good job at incorporating the culture into her books and the fact that it was Greece made it so much better. Such a unique contemporary romance. I do wish the relationship was a little deeper, the book mostly focuses on Atlantis and her problems with her Dad that I think the romance was lost. Still a sweet read though.

It’s been a few years since I read the other books in this series but I just remember that I thought they were cute. You don’t have to read the other ones to understand this book; they’re all more connected by the theme of the protagonists finding themselves and love in a European country. Love & Olives was a cute story of a girl attempting to reconnect with her dad in Greece while they’re on a quest to find Atlantis.

Liv has branded herself as a “perfect” person, one who’s popular and pretty and has a perfect boyfriend. However, she’s still struggling with the fact that her dad abandoned her and her mom when she was eight in search of Atlantis. One day, she gets a postcard from him inviting her to Santorini to help with his documentary on Atlantis. She reluctantly goes, becoming immersed in his daily life in Greece at a bookstore owned by Ana, her dad’s business partner, and her son Theo. They head off in search of Atlantis while getting to know each other more.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but it was compared to Mamma Mia so I figured why not! I suppose this comp was made because it takes place in Greece and the main character strives to form a relationship with her father (although Liv is much more reluctant). Other than that…I’m not sure why they had to invoke Mamma Mia because this book was not as lighthearted as I expected.

It did have its cute moments though! I liked Liv and Theo’s interactions; although Liv has a boyfriend, they really just talk. Theo is eager and high-spirited and provides Liv with dozens of facts about olives (her actual name). He also shows her around Santorini and helps her realize that her dad means more to her than she wants him to.

The plot was interesting as well. I never knew so much about Atlantis before reading this book.

At the heart of this book, though, is Liv’s relationship with her father. To her, Atlantis serves as a symbol of her father’s fixation, so much so that he left his family in search of it. However, while in Greece, she learns that it means even more to him than she knew. She also has to admit that she too was always interested in Atlantis because it was something they bonded over.

My real complaint with this book is that it just kinda felt like a lot of YA contemporary from 2014 through 2016 in that it was cute and I liked it, but it lacked a little something to me. I don’t quite know what but it didn’t help that this book was long (a little under 500 pages!). I’m not saying I was bored; I just felt very apathetic while reading it, especially for so long. I guess I just really didn’t expect this to be as introspective as it was but that’s on me.

Love & Olives depicted a girl struggling to reconcile with her father while they hunt for Atlantis in Santorini, Greece. The romance was cute, and I learned a lot about Atlantis. If you like contemporaries in gorgeous settings or ones rooted in forming closer relationships with an estranged parent, you’ll enjoy this book!

I was so excited to see another book in the Love & series. I was hoping the main characters from the previous two books would show up. When they didn't, it was totally ok. When Liv suddenly hears from her father after 8 years, she leaves for a trip to Greece with the promise of a mysterious project her father needs help with. Beatiful descriptions of Santorini and wonderful character development, this is a great read for teens and adults who like a good story with strong characters. Fans of Welch's previous work will eat this up!

This was a very cute book that I enjoyed a lot. The descriptions of the scenery were vivid and the characters felt realistic. I really liked the main character and I liked the development of the romance between her and the male lead.

I have devoured the previous two novels by Jenna Evans Welch: "Love & Gelato" and "Love & Luck". So it wasn't by accident that I wanted to dive into "Love & Olives". And I mean that quite literally: I devoured the series. "Love & Olives was delight to delve into and I thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover. What I love the most about these novels is that they blend cultures with a love story that isn't the central theme of the novel. The love story is there, but the novels are more about reconnecting with family. This sets this novel apart from other Young Adult novels. The cute love story is there like a sweet dessert, but Greek culture really adds the flavor and reconnecting to family is the main course of this bite-sized novel. I say bite-sized because once you get a taste, you'll want to curl up in a hammock at sunset and devour this novel until the sunrises. It's hard to put down.

I highly recommend this novel because I felt like I escaped to Greece between the covers. Olive (Liv now) travels to Santorini, Greece to reconnect with a father who left her to find Atlantis when she was 8 years old. Left with resentment and bitterness about her father's departure, she collects the 26 items he left behind when he left for his adventures. Waiting for her when she lands is an expected companion: Theo. Theo has had his share of family abandonment and drama; however, he adores Olive's (Liv's) dad is determined to help him with the suprises her dad has in store for the duration of her trip.

Soon, Liv finds herself as Indiana Olive again (her dad's affectionate nickname for her when she was little) and off on an adventure to make a documentary for National Geographic on her dad's search for Atlantis. What she finds on her quest is much more than she bargained for. She finds clues along the way for Atlantis, but gets swept away into a quest to reunite with her father. It's hard not to get invested in the quest and turn the pages quicker and quicker to discover what was lost and now found.

***I have the other three novels in my classroom for students to check out and I plan to add this to my shelves as well!***

Many YA fans will instantly recognize the author's name, her now-famous book title wording, and cover illustrations, and she's back with another heartfelt story. This one takes us all the way to Santorini, Greece. I was obviously intrigued by the cover alone: After all, I am a massive fan of Mamma Mia and dream of traveling to Greece. Then, with its 500=page length, that was definitely daunting at the start. But, it was such a quick read full of adventure, romance, and heart. Here, Olive AKA Liv is sent to Greece for the summer to reconnect with her estranged father and help him with a mysterious project. Instead of her dad, Greek teen Theo is there to pick her up. Even though she has a boyfriend back home in the US, these two have such chemistry and banter that I smell a love triangle trope brewing. Also, the book is partially set in a bookstore, so it already had a small piece of my heart. It's a precious and cute YA read, and that's just about it. Though the title says "love," it's more about the love of family and self-love and acceptance. But, it's giving me all of the wanderlust feels and like I just want to go to Greece now, like right now.

The intro to each chapter focuses on a different item from her list of "things her dad left behind" a brief flashback of the time before he split. And honestly, that sort of loses the flow between each present-day chapter and all its action. Then, in the last 100 pages or so, you see her open up and be vulnerable, as well as how this list actually makes sense.

Love & Olives is a book that has it all! Travel, history, character development, family issues, mental health, and romance. It follows the story of Liv (Indiana Olive) Varanakis as she works to reestablish a relationship with her father and learn how to be her true self.

This is the perfect summer romance book. The travel aspect made me feel like I was able to experience another world, all while being stuck at home. I love learning about Atlantis and the different theories of where it is “true” location could be. Watching Liv learn and grow and her relationships ebb and flow around her was a really satisfying experience. I think it gave a true look at to what growing up and maturing looks like. I love a good romance, and I love even more when the romance comes after characters develop and grow. Without any spoilers, this romance was perfect. I was crying happy tears by the end. A must read for YA romance readers and travel junkies!

5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Booksfor this Advanced eGalley!

i had mainly requested this book due to the Greece setting. Santorini is on my bucket list to travel too and so this story seemed interesting at first.

but after reading i was frustrated with the lack of character development. a lot of the characters seemed very one dimensional and I didn't really feel like rooting for any of them. I was annoyed with Olive the entire time.
Alot of the book seemed to just drag along and i had to skim through it because it felt useless to the plot.

i haven't read any of the other books in this series but if they have a similar writing style, i probably won't be picking them up.

Not my favorite in this series, but another good read! This series has been very popular with my high school students and I think that this will also be a hit! Thank you netgalley!