I'm all for poor man's traveling, also known as reading about teenagers traipsing around the Irish countryside. When I read Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch last year, I was already excited about this book, knowing it wouldn't be released for close to a year. I loved Lina's adventures around Italy and essentially being able to tag along for the ride through Welch's vivid descriptions of the locations.

As luck would have it, Love & Luck offered the same experience I came to enjoy in the last book. This time, readers are transported to Ireland with Lina's best friend, Addie, and her family. After mysterious horrific events at the end of the school year, Addie is eager to put an ocean between her problems and herself. Though, she can't seem to escape the drama of high school with her brother, Ian, reminding Addie of her problems every step of the way, including at their aunt's wedding at the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. Even the windswept landscape can't seem to sweep Addie's thoughts of home away. However, Addie hopes her trip to Italy with Ian to visit Lina will give her the peace she needs, until Addie finds herself trapped in a minuscule car with Ian and his cute Irish friend, Rowan. Instead of heading toward Italy, she ends up on an unexpected Irish adventure.

My favorite part of this story was the pieces of advice included in the pages from the "Ireland for the Heartbroken", the fitting travel guide Addie happened upon at her hotel's library. This unconventional guide gives Addie locations to visit in an attempt to cure her heartbreak, along with homework to complete, allowing her... and Rowan, to face their issues head-on. 

There was never a dull moment in this cute story for ages 12 and up. As readers might imagine, driving around Ireland in the likes of a clown-car with a bumper sticker reading "This car is powered by pure Irish luck" comes with its share of mishaps and hilarity. From Lina's texts to Addie to the moments of fighting between the siblings, I couldn't help but chuckle from time to time as I was swept away by the descriptions of the green landscapes and barren scenes in Burren.

By the end of the story, I was still craving more and wishing the book could go on a bit longer. I hoped for a little more explanation regarding the aftermath of Addie and Ian's decisions upon returning home, but the implication served its purpose. A good writer leaves readers craving more and I was by no means unsatisfied with this story. I hope Jenna Evans Welch will continue the with this series in some form because I can't get enough of the adventurous stories she crafts. She sparks my wanderlust while simultaneously quenching my desire for an exciting trip. I'm also impressed with her ability to please all ages with her writing. Though this is geared for a younger audience, I can't help but love the simplicity of the stories while the author maintains my interest and enjoyment of the characters throughout. This would be a book for both mothers and daughters to enjoy together. I almost can't imagine anything more fun than a mother-daughter buddy-read, except for maybe going to Ireland myself!

Though this is a continuation of Love & Gelato, it reads perfectly as a standalone. If you're looking for a light and fun read, be sure to pick up Love & Luck on May 8th!

                                                            By Ashley

I didn't think Welch would be able to delight me in quite the same way she did with Love & Gelato, but she did! This book took me on a fantastic trip through Ireland, that was filled with friends, family, and fun.

Prior to their trip to Ireland, Addie and her favorite brother, Ian, had a falling out regarding her relationship with one of Ian's teammates. This relationship did not end well, and there was some fallout, which Ian believed required parental guidance. However, Addie was nursing her broken and betrayed heart. She just wanted to visit her friend Lina in Italy, and forget about the whole mess. A chain of events derailed Addie's trip to Italy, and put her on this "road to the Electric Picnic" with Ian and his Irish friend, Rowan. It may have started out as a trip to a music festival, but that road also led to a place of healing and understanding.

First and foremost, I LOVED being on this road trip. There were lots of snafus, which were amusing, but what really won my heart was the tour through Ireland. I got to revisit the sites I went to when I visited Ireland back in 2007. It was such a wonderful trip, and it was amazing being back there via Welch's story telling. Each location was incorporated into the story in such a meaningful way, and the addition of the guidebook just made each stop a little bit better.

The guided book excerpts were quite hilarious. Those snippets never failed to make me grin, but they also did a fantastic job setting the stage for the events that would follow. The tasks assigned at each stop by the "guide" helped us understand what really happened to Addie, little by little, and also served as a bonding point for her and Rowen. There's nothing like forming a friendship over shared heartbreak, and it was a really beautiful friendship that developed between Rowen and Addie.

There was an abundance of examples of fine friendships throughout this book. Of course, I cried when Addie or Lina talked about how vital their friendship was when Lina's mom was sick and later succumbed to her illness. I remember thinking what a wonderful Addie was to Lina, and later, Lina returns that friendship in a really special way. I don't want to say what happened, but there was this magnificent part at the Electric Picnic, which showcased this wonderful group of supportive and loving people Addie was lucky enough to have in her life.

Addie was not only blessed with amazing friendships, she also had a rather stupendous family. Her brothers were a lot of things, but there was no doubt that they loved their little sister. It was really sweet the way they wanted to defend and protect her, although she didn't really need it. I also fell in love with her mom. There were a few times in the story, where Ian and Addie shared some special memories of their mom, which were terribly sweet. Those recollections coupled with seeing their mom in action, solidified my feeling that Addie was truly blessed in the family department.

To summarize the things I found delightful:

☑️ A slightly broken, but fierce heroine

☑️ Amazing family dynamic

☑️ Incredible and scenic trip through Ireland

☑️ A serious issue that was handled quite well by the author

☑️ Robust friendships including a strong female friendship

☑️ Heartbreak, heartache, and eventually, healing

☑️ A fun musical journey

Overall: A beautiful story, which showcased the power of family and friends, and left me with a full and happy heart.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

By Samantha