Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Fiction + Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Laura Taylor Namey
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 10th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads
BOOK SUMMARY:
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.
SMITTEN.
Absolutely loved this. What a gem. And to think I chose it at random because it was available on my library app and was less than 10 hours of a read (I listened on audio).
I connected with Lila on so many levels. Struggling with grief and loss. How she’s an avid baker. Loves to run (and also uses it as a coping mechanism). Many things just resonated with me.
Throw in a cute British boy and I became hooked. What I love about the evolution of their relationship was that it truly started out as a friendship. There wasn’t a dive into the romance. It was slow and progressive. It had room to breath as we found more about Orion’s history and Lila coping with hers. I found it beautiful and even more romantic for the way they came together.
Not to mention, all of the new friendships Lila made. This side cast solidified my love too. The way everyone took in Lila, as she was, and allowed her to be with them as she was ready. And all of the baking!! My mouth was watering every few pages. I desperately need to find some good Cuban food now.
This was a magnetic young adult contemporary. Highly recommend. A new favorite.
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult contemporary + romance
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a loved one(s), depictions of grief and depression
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