Laura Taylor Namey

I would give this book 4.75 for review*

This book was a warm hug and such a great read that tackled so many topics including travel, life after high school, love, heartbreak, grief but also the fun background of a small town in england. It was such a charming read but one that also tackled how to handle grief, anxiety and depression in construvice ways and not harmful ways. I also really liked how this was focused on a developing a new friendship group but also so much more. I also feel like i learned so much about Latina culture and this book was a charming read.… (more)

I would give this book 4.75 for review*

This book was a warm hug and such a great read that tackled so many topics including travel, life after high school, love, heartbreak, grief but also the fun background of a small town in england. It was such a charming read but one that also tackled how to handle grief, anxiety and depression in construvice ways and not harmful ways. I also really liked how this was focused on a developing a new friendship group but also so much more. I also feel like i learned so much about Latina culture and this book was a charming read.… (more)

Lila Reyes knows exactly what her life has in store for her: she is going to carry on tradition and her Abuela's legacy by baking at La Paloma and running the family business with her sister. But when her Abuela passes away, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she has a falling out with a friend, Lila is self-destructive enough that her family decides a complete upheaval is best. They send her to a friend in Winchester, England, hoping the change of scenery will help her. At first, Lila is angry and wants nothing more than to go back home to Miami, but as she starts to make friends - and especially as she meets a boy, Orion, who agrees to be her tour guide - her clear plan for tomorrow suddenly looks less black and white.

This was a really sweet friends-to-lovers slow burn romance, with a nice character arc for Lila as she grows, learning to let go and live in the moment. There's nothing new or life-changing here for adults with life experience, but it's a book for teens and one that I would have found comforting as I, like Lila, prefer a plan mapped out over uncertainty and change. And it does it all well, with fleshed-out characters and believable development in more than just Lila's story. A warm, enjoyable read that left me smiling.… (more)

First, this cover is GORGEOUS! Andrea Porretta and Karyn Lee did awesome work. The font, the way the pink fades into white, just the whole hardcover. I absolutely love how Orion and Lila look; I love Orion’s name too.

This story is cozy like a warm sweater, major slice-of-life vibes. There’s not much drama, which would be okay if our cast of characters were more entertaining. I didn’t care for any of the cast though I enjoyed Lila-Pilar’s sister relationship.

The ending is fitting and every loose end gets tied. If something was mentioned before, it gets closure. This is my third novel with a British, male love interest who’s BLAND. Orion’s polite, a little bookish, and over-protective, but not much else. I think I personally didn’t mesh with him. Lila fared better than him because I was interested in her coming to terms with her take-overish, aggressive personality, but, at times, it felt like her whole personality was just Miami.

I usually like light-hearted things, but I almost dnf’ed this multiple times. Still, if you like Hallmark movies, I think you’d enjoy this. It’s by no means bad, just serviceable to me.… (more)