A lighthearted summer romance with an engaging narrator and thoughtfully crafted themes.
An Italian Scottish teenager struggles to find her place.
Sixteen-year-old Livia Nardelli leaves Edinburgh to travel to Rome with her mother after her grandmother falls and ends up in the hospital. She’s excited to be part of her nonna’s life again and to take part in the family business, a bar that’s more of a cafe—“somewhere neighborhood pensioners go to gossip over coffees and pastries.” Livia hopes to prove she’s not an outsider in her Italian family or Italian culture. But she quickly learns she has competition for Nonna Adelina’s affection. Giulio has been helping out at the bar, and Livia quickly grows suspicious of this charming local. As she discovers new facets of herself and navigates tense family dynamics, new friendships, and concerns about the bar’s finances, she realizes she may have judged Giulio too hastily. This pleasant, fast-paced romance offers just the right amount of tension, and the characters’ relationships progress at a natural pace. Livia is a likeable and charming character: Her sense of humor and desire to do good are endearing qualities. Through Livia’s connection to new friend Kenzi, who was born in Italy to Moroccan parents, the novel celebrates immigration and explores the impact it has on second-generation children. De Luca’s story extends beyond the central romantic relationship, capturing what it means to truly love yourself and the family around you.
A lighthearted summer romance with an engaging narrator and thoughtfully crafted themes. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9798225038427
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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