Love & Santorini. O aventură în Grecia

Love & Gelato #3

by Jenna Evans Welch, Gabriela Stoica (Translator)

Nu e de mirare că Liv Varanakis nu are multe amintiri plăcute despre tatăl ei, dat fiind că acesta a părăsit-o și a plecat în Grecia când fiica lui avea doar opt ani. Însă fata își amintește că împărtășeau pasiunea pentru miturile Greciei antice și pentru Atlantida, legendara insulă pierdută.

O ilustrată primită de la tatăl ei o pune pe jar. National Geographic pregătește un documentar care va prezenta teoriile lui despre Atlantida și, prin urmare, o invită pe Liv în Grecia ca să-l ajute.

Dar odată ce fata ajunge în Santorini, situația devine ușor… stânjenitoare. Prea multe întrebări, prea multe emoții îi inundă sufletul când își întâlnește tatăl, după atâția ani. Cu toate acestea, Liv nu vrea ca trecutul să stea în calea unei posibile împăcări. Și, mai ales, preferă ca Theo — fermecătorul „protejat” al tatălui ei — să nu fie martor la zbuciumul pe care îl simte.

Mâncarea delicioasă, apusurile care-ți taie răsuflarea, apa ca turcoazul și peșterile ascunse sunt doar o parte din ceea ce fata descoperă în Santorini. Insula îi oferă și altceva, poate nu atât de ușor de înțeles și de acceptat. Liv află aici adevăratul motiv pentru care tatăl ei a chemat-o, iar motivul nu are neapărat legătură cu descoperirea unei insule dispărute

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Summer, Summer Reads, Fiction, Travel

528 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2020

About the author

Jenna Evans Welch was the kind of insatiable child reader who had no choice but to grow up to become a writer. She is the New York Times Bestselling author of LOVE & GELATO and the upcoming LOVE & LUCK. When she isn’t writing girl abroad stories, Jenna can be found chasing her children or making elaborate messes in the kitchen. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and two young children.

Reviews

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)]

I'll admit, I wasn't 100% on board with this one the whole way through. In the end it did come together, but it took awhile to get to that payoff, and I still had a few issues. I enjoyed it, but definitely my least favourite of the three. For starters, this is sooo long for a contemporary and in my opinion, it really doesn't need to be. Sure there is a lot of mystery built up around the Atlantis myth and discovering that, but I still felt like the story was a good 100 pages, at least, too long. I did love the Atlantis myth and all I learned about it while reading this, I thought it really brought the story together. The setting was magical. Greece is somewhere I'd love to go one day and this really transported me there. I had some issues with connecting to the story and the main character which I think is why it felt too long for me. There isn't really something I can pinpoint, but there was a little something missing that made it feel like trudging through at certain points. This, like the other books, dealt with more serious topics as well, anxiety and mental illness in this case, and that was something I enjoyed. I like that there's always a little bit of a more serious element. I did really enjoy the love interest as well, I thought he was super sweet. Ultimately I did enjoy reading this for the most part, but my expectations may have been higher having enjoyed the previous books so much and I felt the pacing was off and slow at points.

[jessica yeung · Rating 5 out of 5]

goodness me. is it getting misty in here or is it just my eyes?? lol.

i honestly did not expect this story to pack such an emotional punch. i already knew JW could delve into some deeper topics, but she tends to do it in a light, carefree way. while this did have that airy quality to it, especially surrounding the adventure to document finding atlantis and being in greece, there is a lot of heavy stuff going on in this. and it caught me off guard to see myself get so caught up in it.

i love, love, love how both liv and her dad are written. its really quite beautiful. and i really enjoyed how their relationship tied into the larger overall theme of searching for atlantis and how lost things can become found. its a really meaningful idea and one that is developed in a loving way.

i think this just might knock out 'love and gelato' as my favourite JW book!

↠ 5 stars

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

books are cool because i have precisely 0 whirlwind european vacations in my future, but this let me pretend.

also, this was cute and nice and insanely readable considering how long it was (and how, uh, unnecessary said length was)...

but mostly i wanna go to greece.

at least this vacation cost, like, $15.

bottom line: fun!

3.5

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna Evans Welch has done it again!! I absolutely adored being swept away to Greece with Love & Olives.



This novel brought back the tone, humor, heart and gut-punching familial relationships of Love & Gelato and I'm so happy about it after a mediocre experience with Love & Luck.

Liv Varanakis is surprised when she receives a postcard from her father asking her to travel to Greece to stay with him. He needs her help with a mystery project; something involving the lost city of Atlantis.



Honestly, Liv has been trying to forget her Dad. She has had little, to no, contact with him since he left when she was only 8-years old.

He returned to his native-country, Greece, and her and her mom were forced to make ends meet on their own. It wasn't always easy, but her mom has since remarried and Liv even has a half-brother now, who she adores.



She has to go though. Her Mom is making her. It'll be fine. Even though she has to miss her boyfriend's Senior Trip; it'll be fine.

Arriving on the beautiful island of Santorini, Liv's nerves begin to get the best of her. She has no idea what to expect. Will she and her Dad even get along?



Things get off to a bit of a rocky start when a strange boy shows up in her Dad's place to pick her up from the airport. Should she even trust this person?

He claims his name is Theo and that he works for her father. It's like something out of a movie. She's pretty sure she shouldn't just go with him. She's seen, Taken.



This story is an absolute delight. The Reader gets to follow along as Liv and her father try to repair their broken relationship. She gets to live in his book shop, with Theo, and their relationship blossoms as well.

Central to the story is the mystery of the lost city of Atlantis and the documentary film her father is making on the subject. Liv, an artist, is put in charge filming, a task she excels at.



The story is told through Liv's perspective and it is full of humor. She has such a sarcastic, honest view of the events; it's hilarious to read.

I loved the interactions between characters and how Welch incorporated some heavier topics throughout. Liv really grows over the course of the story. Watching her relationship with her father change, as she learns more about him, and about herself, was really lovely.



I have read some reviews where people commented on the length of the story; that it is too long. It is long, over 500-pages for a YA Contemporary, but looking back on it, I cannot think of one scene that I would have removed.

For me, every detail was needed in order to become as attached to Liv and her story as I did. Personally, I wouldn't change a thing.



Ultimately, I am so glad I picked this up. I didn't have the greatest experience with Love & Luck, but I knew what Welch was capable of because of Love & Gelato.

I actually think this story is my favorite out of the three. Liv is my favorite protagonist, combined with the Atlantis lore and the documentary aspect, makes this a near perfect book for me.

As one of my favorite BookTubers always says, 10 out of 10, recommend! Let Greece sweep you away!

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2,5

Love and Olives is the third book in the series, but it can be read as standalone, because books are companions, and not continuations.

The story follows Liv who spends 10 days in Greece with her father who abounded her and her mother when she was 8, and didn't call or visit for 9 years.

Starting this book my expectations weren't too high, but.I expected at least 3 or 4 starts (in my mind) worth book.
It was a pick that we read in a reading group I am a part of, and I am sad to say that I am not the only one who was disappointed. In fact, non of us liked it like we wanted to.

My main problem was Liv's father and nothing he could do would make it okay in my eyes, nothing would be a good reason why he didn't call or keep in touch.
While he was my main issue, his reasons were the only thing that kept me turning those pages, because I still wanted to know.
In the end, I will just say that he could have still called at least from time to time.

To me, the best part of the story were facts surrounding Atlantis, that made me feel like I was getting something out of the story, that I've learned something.

The love interest, if we can even call him that, was annoying and too much into other's business. He also didn't respect Liv's decisions and acted like he knew what was better for her.

I also had a problem with everyone in the book treating one employee like he was slow and not taking him seriously. I feel like the author wrote him to make us laugh, but I didn't click with that humour.

My main problem lays with Liv, how her father from the very first time she stepped to Greece used her for her talent and free labor, and she didn't even realized it, and went with it.
And then again, he wasn't around. He basically gave her the job to film documentary and still wasn't there to make connection.

Since this book was set in Greece, and Liv was stuck with Theo, I wish we got to see more scenes with two teenagers having fun time exploring Greece, instead of working all the time.
Like, Liv was there for the first time. One would assume she would want to see the place she visited, had some fun. She is teenager after all.

I could go all day with what I had problem with or think could be better, finishing with the fact that the author thanked herself in the acknowledgment, but I think I said enough and just want to read another book instead of talking about this one.

[Charmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Ms. Jenna Evans Welch brought us to Italy and Ireland, she's bringing us to GREECE! 🥳

“But it's a good rule, Kalamata. Enjoy the moment, then carry the memories with you as a souvenir. It's my life mantra.”

So, Olive "Liv" Varanakis received a postcard from her father who's in Greece, it's about a documentary for his theory on the lost city of Atlantis. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to Santorini and meet his dad who left her when she was a kid.

She then arrived in the beautiful country, reunited with her father, met new people, including his father's assistant, Theo, and most importantly, she discovered… a lot. Well at first, things went badly and akward but as she spent her days, she was growing on the place.

"I thought we'd lost each other. But sometimes, lost things could be found"

This book was really long and slow. Everything in the middle of the book was forgettable. The only thing memorable here was the ending.

I absolutely and a hundred percent-ly loved the atmosphere and setting. Santorini, Greece is just so 🤩 and don't forget its beaches!

The main character, Liv, for some point was a bit irritating. Her dad was so sweet and she was like, not acknowledging his efforts, but sometimes I get what she's feeling. I also hate his manipulative, selfish ex-boyfriend and I was pissed off when she didn't break up with him earlier. But thankfully, her development at the end was brilliant.

Theo was infuriatingly good-looking and funny. He's loyal, understanding, yet sometimes annoying and no doubt, he's the best character here.

Liv's father, Nico Varanakis was such a nice dad and a hardworking man.
Maybe I'd forget the whole plot but not the characters 😉


The family aspect was pure, the romance of Theo and Liv was cute and adorbs. I was glad for how the panic attacks were interpreted and how the mental health rep was added. Lastly, things had worked out in the end and I was just squealing for the happy ending!

This was a sweet ride around Santorini, 3.5 stars



_

I am very very very satisfied with the ending and ah yes, Santorini is a must see place 🥺

this deserves an extra 0.5 star for the ending, so 3.5 ✨
review to come!

[TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you read Love & Gelato or Love & Luck? Both have been comfort, easy reads for me, and I was so happy to see there’s an additional one, this time set in Santorini, Greece.

Love & Olives also touches on mental health and abandonment, and I appreciated the way the author delicately addressed those topics. All three of these books are standalones, but you’ll notice some commonalities between them.

I hope Jenna Evans Welch will add more stories to the line-up because I can’t get enough. The characters are precious, and the books are so very huggable.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[abigailscupoftea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a magical, one-way ticket to Santorini, Greece. I felt the heat of the sun and the chill of the waves. I saw the beautiful buildings and the breathtaking sunsets. I was charmed by the bookstore and by Theo. I laughed, I unexpectedly cried, and I finished the book smiling from ear to ear. I had the time of my life searching for Atlantis with Olive and her father. 🌊✨

[almas. · Rating 3 out of 5]

read on: (30.08.24.)

꒰🫒꒱ love & olives by jenna evans welch

↪ ★★★☆☆ joyous stars

i. | the plot.
---> liv varanakis has avoided thinking about her estranged father since he left for rgeece when she was eight, leaving her with painful memories. however, when she receives a postcard from him asking for help with a national geographic documentary on his theories about atlantis, she reluctantly agrees to visit him in santorini. there, she is confronted with unresolved emotions and the charming yet mysterious theo, her father’s protégé. while Liv is captivated by the island’s beauty, she begins to uncover that her father’s true reason for inviting her may be far more significant than atlantis.

❝ book air is the best air..❞

ii. | a quick dive into the characters.
----> i read this months ago, so i don't remember as much as i did back then. but i'll still try my best to express what i still remember feeling when i read this.

liv 🫒 HER NAME IS ACTUALLY OLIVE !! AJGJSHKDJFHKFJ. she was a nice fmc, not anything spectacular but here development was amazing! in the beginning, she was hung up on her ex, refused to let her father in, and was super confused about where things stood with her mom, theo and friends. but as the ending came closer, she developed into a better person, and we love to see thatt

❝ sometimes moving forward is as simple as admitting what you already know.❞

nico 🗺️ he was such a supportive father !! i love how he always tried his best with liv, and how he had so much patience while waiting for her to understand. his story is oh so beautiful, and it's mesmerizing to see his and liv's father-daughter bond strengthen day by day

❝ simply being alive is a long shot. and art isn’t your future; it’s your today. it’s in the way you do everything.❞

theo 🤍 he was such a funny and loyal character !! it's beautiful how he was always so understanding, a good person, always there for you - even though he could be annoying sometimes (iykyk). i love how he and liv talked everything out, and the last chapter was SO good. OMG THE WAY HE CALLS HER KALAMATA AND TALKS SM ABT OLIVES>>>>

❝ but it's a good rule, kalamata. enjoy the moment, then carry the memories with you as a souvenir. it's my life mantra.❞

iii. | my overall thoughts.
----> this was a wonderful book to read! i love how jenna evans welch's books always have emotional depth in them, making your heart ache in one way or another. the way she discussed the importance and significance of trust, disorders, friendships and family issues. i'll read anything jenna evans welch puts out, no doubt. also, LOVE the bookstore in the story!

❝ but some people are worth second chances. not all people. just some people.❞

iv. | some gorgeous quotes.
----> i know i rated this 3 stars, but the quotes in this hit so harddd. i just HAD to make a separate section for them.

❝ kalamata, no one knows what they're doing. it's called life.❞

❝ do you know what i love the most about this place? you are never quite alone when you are in a bookstore. so many voices are jammed into one place, it is impossible to feel alone.❞

❝ he said that there are two types of silence, the silence that is empty and the silence that is full, and it’s never hard to figure out which one you’re dealing with.❞

❝ difficult is not the opposite of good.❞

❝ my mom once told me that it's difficult for kids to recognize their parents as anything but supporting cast members in their own feature films, and here it was true. i'd been so wrapped up in my own story with my father that i hadn't stopped to think about what his story was.❞

❝ i still had a lot more finding to do. not everything that had been lost had been found, but there was one thing i knew with absolute clarity. i'd keep looking.❞

in conclusion, read jenna evans welch's books !!

xx
almas the almighty

─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────

ʚ pre-review ɞ
that ending tho>>>>>>>>
rtc

ʚ pre-read ɞ
thank you, dream, for reminding me that:
(a) summer is almost over; and
(b) I HATE HAVING UNFINISHED SERIES
so here we are. finishing this series. because there are only ten days left in august.

[jazmin ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⊹ ࣪ ˖⌇𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 & 𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
╰⪼〝𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴.〞

𑣲 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: july 25th, 2026 ⌝
⌞ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: july 27th, 2026 .ᐟ.ᐟ

──── .✦
⋆ 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒗 (𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏)
⋆ 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆: none
⋆ 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: abandonment, drowning, panic attacks, nightmares, grief, mental illness
──── .✦



‎ . ݁⋆ ꫂ᭪⌇𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
╰⪼ 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝟓/𝟓 ✰

oh my gosh this book genuinely almost had me in TEARS. i can't believe i'm saying this but this was lowkey a little better than love & gelato..

i really only have two things that kinda bothered me, and neither of them really affect my rating at all because i genuinely did enjoy this so much, and rating this anything less than a 5 would feel like a crime

the writing, while it was pretty simple and light, it also kind of reminded me of lynn painters writing style (which was the same with love & gelato, but i didn't really mind too much), but for some reason it bothered me a little more in this book for some reason

(not hating on lynn painter in any way, love her soso much, it's just the only way i can think of to explain it 😭)

and oh my goshhh the chapters were so long, this book is MASSIVE (500 pages) and yet there's only 26 chapters, and ik there was a reason for that (which i really liked the idea of!) i just feel like some of the scenes could've been cut or shortened a smidge

but unlike love & gelato, i genuinely did not see any of the plot twists coming, and im like the absolute worst at guessing them unless its like right there, sooo



.☘︎ ݁˖ ⌇𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

⊱ 𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 '𝐥𝐢𝐯' 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬
╰⪼ 〝𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘷. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘷 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘥.〞

i love that her name is olive, it's such a pretty name 🥹

her backstory immediately had me speechless, and i could kinda relate to it, which already had my heart breaking for her 💔💔

⊱ 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨 𝐝𝐮𝐛𝐨𝐢𝐬
╰⪼ 〝𝘈 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺. 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘓𝘪𝘷, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰.〞

at first i thought he was kinda pushy(?), but as the book progressed i ended up liking him way more

and he calls her kalamata (which is a variety of olive 🥹🥹)

⊱ 𝐥𝐢𝐯 + 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨
╰⪼ 〝𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.〞

while i still love lina and ren, liv and theo are officially my new favorite couple !!

i gotta admit, when it was revealed that she had a boyfriend at the start of the story, i was a little worried about how her snd theo's dynamic would work (mainly if there would be drama surrounding it like with love & gelato) because she's noticing theo while remembering dax, who she's in an unstable relationship with (WHICH, who names their kid that by the way..) but despite that little drama honestly im really surprised by how well their dynamic developed despite that !! (even though they get tg in the last 2-3 pages.. 🥲)

ALSO, them basically living tg? (or just sleeping in the same space, (i forgot exactly what the setup was), i absolutely loved that because i am a real sucker for forced proximity (wasn't super forced in this case but still 🥹)



𓂃⋆.˚ 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 .ᐟ

➺ love & gelato (𝟓✰)
➺ love & olives (𝟓✰)



➵ . ݁⋆ ꒰ ✉︎ ꒱ ‎. ݁⋆
𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
⋆ 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝟓/𝟓 ✰

ᯓ skipping love & luck for now because the reviews don't look so good 😭😭 tbh, im also just not that super motivated to read it it anyways

however, i loved love & gelato SO MUCH so im really excited to start this <3



ﾒ૦ﾒ૦

[** Lucie ( Taylor's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

I ATE THAT UP. I just love how she puts mystery and romance in the same book. I couldn't put it down because I just wanted to understand EVERYTHING. I really think this is the best book of the series.

[amily :)]

I LOVED LOVE & GELATO SO MUCH I CANT WAIT :D

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

**EST 11/08/2019**

How did I not know this was a thing?! I LOVED the other two! And this one is in Greece?! Cool!

**12/23/20**

This one was good, but it wasn't my favorite. That title still belongs to Love & Luck. Real review to come.

**EDIT 12/27/20**


You can find more of my reviews here at my blog: Take Me Away...

When I saw this was coming out, I immediately added it to my TBR. I LOVED the first 2 in this companion series, and I just knew I was going to love this one too. I mean why wouldn’t I? It’s set in Greece!

Liv hasn’t heard from her father in years. And then all of a sudden she gets a postcard from her father asking for her help in Santorini. She doesn’t want to go, but her mom makes her and she then finds herself on the plane. When she gets there, things are as awkward as one might think. She’s not ready to forgive her dad, but she’s there anyway to help with his outlandish ideas. But as it turns out, her dad has asked her to come to Greece for so much more than she expected.

The best thing about this was of course the setting. Just like with the others, they’re all set in places I’ve never been but really want to go to. The descriptions in this had me looking up pictures of things like the Red Beach, the White Beach, the beautiful turquoise water, and just all of it. I really felt like I was there. Welch definitely has a way with making the setting come alive. I do wish she had incorporated more Greek food into it. (Like the gelato in the first one.) But all in all I did feel like I was in Greece for a bit.

As for the characters, I liked Liv, but she was a bit indecisive and that bothered me a bit. I know most teens are like that, but with her it was extreme. She wanted her dad to say what he’d done, but she didn’t want to. It was like she didn’t know what she wanted. I thought it was a way of protecting herself, but sometimes I felt she was protecting herself against something that wasn’t as obvious as she thought. Especially when everyone was trying to tell her so and she just didn’t want to hear or know it. I guess a better word to describe her is stubborn.

I did think that Welch did a great job in describing the mental illness in this book. The episodes were described accurately and made me think of my sister who suffers from the same illness. I was glad that they finally gave that person the limelight and let them tell their story. As a matter of fact, that was what made the story for me. That made the story arc so much more meaningful.

The plot itself was a bit repetitive tho. I felt like she was flinching away from her dad, flirting but not flirting with the love interest and thinking she knew everything throughout the whole book until the end. I wanted to see more growth in her I guess. More growth would have meant a better advancement of the plot in my opinion.

The romance was a slow burn and for the most part was non-existent. It wasn’t really a contemporary romance, it was more like a contemporary that had a romance element to it. I think that was my downfall. I went into it thinking I would get a love story romp through Greece like I got with the first two. But as I read this, I knew that just wasn’t what this story was about. And that’s ok. I just wanted to give readers a heads up if they’re thinking like I was.

This book was very different from the others, but it’s still only my second favorite. I wish it had some small changes, but I still enjoyed it as is. I hope this isn’t the last one in this series. I would love to see her characters go to more places. Hopefully we’ll see them going places like Brazil, Japan, France, etc.

[Daniella Diogo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book were a…
Colour: cobalt blue
Time of day: sunset
Fruit: lemon
Crystal: turquoise howlite
Flower: fuchsia bougainvillea
Element: water
City: Santorini

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A contemporary romance novel has no business being over 500 pages - this was WAY too long. I thought this was still cute and there was still some things that annoyed me about this one but this was way better than Love & Luck however, nether of them could come close to Love & Gelato. I loved that one so much and the rest of the series was pretty disappointing in comparison. I do love the setting of this one, I'm ready to go to Greece now.

[Oceana Reads Co.]

I read up to page 313/62% done and I found it way too drawn out.

The girl's dad left when she was young because he wanted to find Atlantis.
She is in her senior year and her dad asks her to come spend the summer with him because he found a breakthrough in locating Atlantis.

There is a boy on the dad's team who is the love interest. THE GIRL HAS A BOYFRIEND. Why do we do that? Up to page 313, she was still with the boyfriend and starting to have feelings for the new guy.

I could see that it is heading towards some reconciliation between her and her dad. I don't know if they actually find Atlantis. Don't really care.

Content to be aware of: some mild language very sparsely throughout - a** being the worst.
First chapter she is on a plane and the guy she is sitting next to talks about his boyfriend. Nothing else like that came up again up to what I read.

I'd skip this one. Loved the first one. Haven't read the second one as of July 2026.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mid-row-read for me. 😝 Not as good as the first one in series. ✌️

[mari ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a light, comforting read!
The writing was absolutely amazing, i felt like i was literally in Greece while reading about the descriptions of the locations in this book.
Liv was a great, relatable and funny protagonist, and her romance with Theo was really well developed and cute.
The only reason why i lowered it to 4 stars was because i felt that this book could’ve definitely been shorter, and i felt like it was a little slow at the middle, but overall it was a great read! Recommend it to all the Mamma Mia lovers!

[chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

- set in santorini (i've always wanted to go!!)
- cute, slow burn romance
- this made me cry

[nαомι αndιno · Rating 5 out of 5]

What was lost in now found.

Buddy read with Nashita .

This entire series in such a cute, fun and easy read. Love & Olives is set in Santorini, Greece. Liv (Olive) goes to Santorini for ten days to see her father for the first time in 9 years. I love how Jenna Welch has the ability to transport us to the locations of her novels, and, in this particular book, tackles serious issues such as abandonment and mental health.

The romance, as always, isn’t the main plot, but it is still amazing and I fell in love with Theo (also how he calls Liv "Kalamata" is so adorable). I could write for ages about my love for Theo but it’s better if you just read for yourself.

I found Nico’s (Liv’s father) obsession with Atlantis really cute and the ending made me tear up. The other characters were also all very lovable (except Dex) and I loved seeing Liv grow so much in just 10 days.

I hope more books are added to this series.

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked)]

I loved Love & Gelato so much, and I've been meaning to read Love & Luck, but I'm so excited for this one! I just really need to know if Theo is Greek too, or if he's from a different country. If he's Greek imma be pissed. A Greek naming their son Theo is like a Canadian naming their son Uncle.

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As if I didn’t already want to visit Santorini badly enough, this book made me want to go even more! Love & Olives transports and immerses you into the breathtaking shores of the island. This was the perfect setting for a story about finding yourself and finding your family.
Olive is swept away to Santorini after receiving a postcard from her estranged father asking for her help with a new project.
This was definitely an emotional read. Its biggest plot line was an extremely meaningful one about loss, family and forgiveness. I felt for both Olive and her dad throughout their journey. I really liked the inclusion of mental illness rep. I wish that it had been brought to light earlier in the book to open up more discussions on the topic between the characters.
I wasn’t crazy about the romance aspect of this book. Olive has a boyfriend back home for the majority of the time she’s in Santorini having a flirtation-ship with Theo, the son of her dad’s friend. Thankfully, the strong storylines of adventure and learning to understand those who have hurt you in the past made up for this.
The ending was so cute, I actually teared up a little bit. It was sweet, genuine and sincere and I felt like it wrapped up the story perfectly.
Love & Olives also features an incredible, dreamy bookstore that I wish I could visit in person! The bookstore painted such a picturesque setting and all readers will get lost in the rows of books and the story this book tells.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[nashh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with Naomi who like me wants to visit Greece very badly 💖

“Kalamata, no one knows what they're doing. It's called life.”

4.5 stars, but Imma give it 5 stars because why not? It was that good!

This book was really cute, like rest of the series! The best part of this book was the characters whom I adored very much.
I loved Liv. We see her struggle with her life and her own personality. She is strong and I love dreading abt her soo much<3
Theo. I have no words to express how perfect he is. He's so cute and I love him ahhh
He helps Liv throughout her journey and helps her become a better person, which is soo cute!
I could keep on talking abt him. But Ill stop myself.

I loved how the romance was the subplot and how it focuses more on the Father - Daughter relationship.
The last part, where we finally get to know everything was perfect. It made me soo sad but I loved it<3
The ending made me sad yet soo happy.💖
I didnt realize this book was 500 pgs long until I was halfway through the book! It was sos good, that I didnt notice the length of the book.

The Love & Other Detours series is one of the best contemporary books I have read. I loved it and I would recommend that everyone reads it!!


Reviews for rest of the series

Other books on this series

Love & Gelato :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Love & Luck :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Love & Olives :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Amanda Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5)

I really enjoyed this installment of the Love and... series. The tension in this book was really well written and I thought some of the more serious themes like abandonment and mental health were handled with grace. I know lots of people have complicated relationships with their fathers and I think my own experiences informed how I read and felt about Liv and her father's relationship. There were times I just wanted to grab Liv by the shoulders (lovingly) and say "hear him out!" And I think it's those same experiences that made me feel very, profoundly sad about some things in this book. It's not really a tear-jerker kind of novel but I was affected by it to a degree that took me by surprise. Very well done. Side note: maybe it's the Mamma Mia lover in me but the whole time I was just like "yes, run away to Greece. Stay forever." because I mean, living in a bookshop overlooking the ocean in Santorini? That's literally a dream.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon and Schuster through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

[Maditales · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was my favorite out of the entire series. The mystery to her father’s disappearance as well as the entire plot revolving around Atlantis was amazing.
Olive was a great main character. Her not knowing if she should follow her boyfriend to Stanford or if she should chase her own dreams was very realistic and a problem I could relate to.
Her father, Nico, was quite the character. I liked that he wanted to rebuilt his relationship with his daughter even after so many years and I loved how Atlantis was still his main interest that connected him to his daughter.
Theo was a great love interest. He was funny, loud, sarcastic and overall a very nice character to read about. I loved that they struggled in the beginning and had a fallout because yea, she did have a boyfriend at the time and still didn’t want to leave him.
I also love the name plot: Her wanting to be called Liv instead of Olive showed how her father took a piece with him when he left.

The ending was, in my opinion, were nice and rounded of the story in a great way. The secrets came out and she got her happily ever after with Theo even if it is long distance.

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Oh my goodness. I read these 500 pages in what felt like less than 24 hours. I am floored.

This story isn’t just a love story between two teenagers, but it’s a love story between a father and his daughter, navigating their broken relationship through the tale of Atlantis.

This story broke me in the most beautiful way. I have the best dad—a fact I never want to take for granted. And this story made me cry over the pain, loss, and misunderstanding of what once was and what could have been for Olive and her father.

The overall pace of this story is slower, letting the scenic beauty of Santorini unfold over time. I loved the culture and all the mentions of Greek food; my husband is Greek so I loved reading about things that I’ve come to learn over the years.

Wow. Jenna, I am blown away. Please keep writing more stories.

Content:
A few minor curse words.
Clean romance.
Mental illness.
No violence.
Mention of a gay relationship, but nothing beyond that.

[bianca ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Did I feel like this was about 73 pages too long? Yes.

But I also loved it. You could really tell how much time and research went into this book.

This was so so so SO cute! I loved the romance (I need a Theo irl)! And I really liked the topic of Atlantis bc even though it’s a myth, I’ve always been really intrigued by it and it was so interesting! Also how they did the whole documentary thing, really added to the story!

I expected to not like this as much as I did bc guess what, I looked at gr reviews before starting it. A lot of people seemed to not like this one but I just thought the plot was amazing and so well thought out, even though it was a little too dragged out. I wouldn’t complain about that very much because all of the details were necessary in my opinion and I thought that the author did a really good job coming up with the in-between plot points that all us authors get stuck on iykyk 😉

I thought that this was a little too similar to Love and Gelato in that she’s trying to fix a relationship with her dad that she either hasn’t met or hasn’t seen in years and I thought the author kinda stole that from the first book bc she was having trouble with conflict ideas? Idk, but in this case it worked out fine and I did really enjoy reading about how they repaired their relationship.

…THEO…that’s all I need to say 😌 here’s another case of my standards for men being raised XD
But low-key, I thought Theo and Liv were the best couple in this series and had the most chemistry! Whenever they had a moment together my heart melted 🥹 of course that second-act conflict comes in and always BREAKS my heart but the way they fixed it was so cute omg. I loved how Theo tried to help her with her dad problems, he’s such a sweetheart AGH

OK but I want to go to Greece (specifically Santorini) now and just see the whole setting for this book because the DESCRIPTIONS!! I literally love how this author writes and it’s increased my love of traveling! now I want to go to all these places and see everything in these books XD

Wrapping up- but if you haven’t read these you should because they were aMaZiNg!! Contemporary at its finest 😌

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Possibly a 2.5? I don't know.. we shall see how I feel after sitting on this for a while.

I will start off with what I liked.... I REALLY enjoyed the atmosphere and the different landmarks we got to explore and I found myself searching these places online and being able to fully picture how beautiful these places are! I also loved getting to know more about the lore of Atlantis and there were a lot of fun scientific facts thrown into this book which I always appreciate. This also really made me feel transported into summer which is what I NEED right now while being in the middle of a Polar vortex! The ending did make me feel emotional and I could see the outline of what was a beautiful story, however.....

What was the point of Olive having a boyfriend in this story? Or why was he prominent for so long because it really made me less inclined to root for any kind of relationship. Theo irked me in the beginning when he was inconsiderately shoving a camera in her face at horrible moments and there were a lot of things that were totally ignored until the very end of the book. It was hard for me to enjoy good and happy moments when I felt stressed out about all of the unfinished, ignored conversations that should have at least been somewhat touched on! I got bored at the halfway point and just wanted questions answered and this just seemed to drag on.

I'm at least happy I liked this one more than Love & Luck, but looks like Love & Gelato will continue to take the cake! I'm thinking this one might read much better for someone who has been enjoying many YA books right now! YA has unfortunately just not been meshing well with me recently and maybe that contributed to my feelings!

[Roaringwave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that of all of the books in this “series” this was my least favorite, which was disappointing because I was really looking forward to it.
I felt that the missing dad trope was repeated, although it was altered a bit.
Overall it was a fun enjoyable read.

[Sibel Gandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 / 5
Kurgu, anlatım vs iyiydi de Olive keşke bu kadar iç ses ishali olmasaydı. Bu tarz bir kitap için sayfa sayısı çok fazlaydı 😑