Love & Gelato ~ Jenna Evans Welch

Summer has arrived! And this book could not be a more perfect read for the season. There is a reason Love & Gelato, by Jenna Evans Welch, is a New York Times Bestseller--I could not put it down! I am definitely not a girl who is drawn to romance novels, but this one had me hooked right from the start. Everything changes for 16-year-old Lina when her mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passes away four months later. It was Lina's mother's dying wish that Lina go to Tuscany, Italy to stay with Howard, a man who Lina’s mother insisted was a good friend. 

Much to Lina’s surprise, she discovers just before leaving that Howard is her father. Reeling from the pain of losing her mother, and wanting nothing to do with Italy or Howard, Lina arrives in Tuscany an emotional mess, questions swirling in her mind. But things change quickly when Lina accidentally meets Lorenzo, a boy who is willing to help Lina untangle her mother’s secret and complicated past.  Readers age 12 and up will love this novel. It is full of suspense, heartache, and a touch of love and gelato. Happy reading, friends! 

Maturity: 1/4

This novel is perfectly appropriate for middle school and high school readers. There are a few moments when men make unwanted advances, but those moments are short and not explicit in any way. 

Pages: 386

Lexile: 640L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!