With Love, Echo Park by Laura Taylor Namey

 

5*

This is more than a frenemies-to-lovers young adult novel. It’s also a loving tribute to the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles and the immigrants who settled there starting in the early 1900s. In this story, the focus is on the Cuban families who fled after Castro took power and how their history is slowly but steadily being forgotten and painted over due to gentrification.

Clary Delgado’s family runs a florist shop that, thanks to a high-profile celebrity wedding, does a booming business. Her childhood nemesis Emilio Avalos’s family owns the bike shop across the street. They’re part of a handful of original Cuban businesses that still exist, and Clary has made it her mission to try to get a historical designation for the Sunset business district “to preserve the area and honor its role in fostering Cuban culture on the west coast.” Author Namey, who is half Cuban and a SoCal resident, pays homage to the artists who created the numerous colorful murals that decorate the neighborhood and feature strongly in Clary’s life. Sadly, many of them have been painted over by new business owners, but others have been restored. In the book, Clary learns that there is no mention of the Cubans’ contribution to the neighborhood on the local historical society website (which doesn’t surprise me given that I live nearby and have witnessed the whitewashing of the neighborhood and entitlement of the newer, white NIMBY residents). She is committed to honoring those memories and ensuring that those that came before her aren’t forgotten.

The slow burn romance between Clary and Emilio is very sweet, but the family relationships are equally central to the story. Namey does a wonderful job of describing the value that they place on their culture (through music, food, celebration and more) as well as the loyalty and devotion they have for each other. A few years ago, I invited Namey to visit our school library where we served Cuban pastries from Porto’s Bakery, so I got a kick out of reading about the characters in this book enjoying them as well. I highly recommend this poignant and, at times, poetic story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Atheneum Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dream On by Angie Hockman

 5*

What happens when the man IN your dreams turns out to be real?

In Dream On, author Angie Hockman explores the idea of whether fantasy can live up to reality in this romance with a twist. Cassidy Walker slowly wakes up from yet another delicious dream featuring her perfect boyfriend, Devin Bloom. So, she’s shocked to learn that she’s in the hospital after a 6-day coma and that Devin doesn’t exist. Despite the detailed conversations and clear vision she has of him (which she fills up a sketchbook with during her year-long recovery), she finally acknowledges the truth and turns her focus to resuming her fledgling law career. However, fate has other plans when she runs into Devin in the flesh at his brother Perry’s florist shop, and he doesn’t recognize her.

Intrigued, he agrees to help her solve the mystery despite Perry’s suspicion of her motives. As they spend more time together, she begins to wonder if the memories are a sign they were meant to meet, if fate brought them together, or if dreams should be left in the realm of fantasy. With the thoughtful and sensitive observations Perry shares with her, she also begins to question if a career in a high-powered law firm will bring her fulfillment and the life she wants.

Although this is a slow-burn, only slightly steamy romance, it also deals with traumatic brain injury, parental interference, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. In a departure from the normal trope, Hockman also ingeniously uses government corruption and the evils of capitalism as vehicles to drive the plot. Add in a twist that observant readers will pick up on early in the books, and you have a delightful summer read which will appeal to fans of Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, and Abby Jimenez. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Lease On Love by Falon Ballard

 

4*

Spoilers ahead.

This debut novel is a good effort in need of better editing. The premise is solid and the slow burn romance between Jack and Sadie isn’t bothersome because they were clearly into each other, the sexual tension was off the charts, and their reasons for taking it slow were thoughtful and mature. Unfortunately, from the time that they finally shared their 1st kiss to the end of the book, the story dragged and Sadie’s near-constant self-flagellation became tiresome.

Jack definitely had secrets, but he shared painful memories and feelings with Sadie, making it crystal clear that her presence in his life brought him out of seven years of emptiness and grief. Sadie was also selective in what she shared about her abusive upbringing, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that her low self-esteem was going to be the vehicle that drives their relationship. When someone has been hurt as deeply as she has, they’ll look for any excuse to avoid pain and loss, even if it means walking away before someone else can reject them.

The highlights of this book are the friendships Sadie cultivated during college and the way this loving group embraced Jack and helped him become whole again. I also really admired the way Jack and Sadie were able to grow their own emotional connection without sex muddying the waters. However, it was obvious from the outset that their relationship was going to hit a snag once it was tested. Despite Sadie’s talent as a florist, her business acumen, and the people who love her and try to convince her that she’s not the selfish failure she was raised to believe, she can’t get past it. So, as readers, we spend a good part of the book waiting for her to destroy the best thing she’s ever had.

Ultimately, this story is about friendship, love, grief, and forgiveness. Despite the uneven pacing and the frustration of listening to Sadie constantly criticize herself, it’s still a beautiful love story and Jack is a wonderful book boyfriend.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.