Love & Olives Takes Readers on an Emotional Journey to Greece

Simon Pulse

No matter what is going on in the world, I have spent the past few years relying on Jenna Evans Welch when I’m in need of a lighter book to read. Love & Gelato is one of my favorite YA novels because it’s a mix of coming-of-age, summer romance, and touring the sights of Italy, and it’s a title I’ve reread several times since its publication in 2016. Follow up novel Love & Luck followed a similar structure, with a road trip through Ireland serving as the backdrop to a poignant self-love journey. Welch’s third novel, Love & Olives, is another foray to Europe, and while it has many similarities to its predecessors, there’s always something new to find along the way.

While the first two novels had recurring characters and a continuing storyline, Love & Olives introduces a new character to the series. Liv Varanakis is a high school junior trying to move forward with her life after her father left the family years prior. When he invites her to visit him in Santorini, Greece, she’s surprised to find that he’s in the process of making a documentary about Atlantis. Having tried and failed to move past the memories of Atlantis hunting with him as a child, Liv is reluctant to reconnect to something that has caused her so much pain. But the more time she spends working on the documentary, the more she begins to realize that there’s much more to Atlantis—and her relationship with her father—that has yet to be discovered.

Welch always does an excellent job detailing the beauty and nuances of Europe, and Santorini in particular is vibrant with color and spirit. Welch includes real destinations and landmarks in her books, and I always have a webpage open to familiarize myself with whatever she happens to be describing. I was particularly excited to learn that Atlantis Books, the bookstore Liv’s father owns, is a real bookstore in the city of Oia, with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a rooftop terrace like its fictional counterpart. The novel doubles as as a pseudo–travel guide to the beaches and islands that make up Santorini, and I’d honestly be surprised if anyone wasn’t sold on vacationing there after reading.

The setting certainly feels lively enough to be a character itself, but the human characters are what make the novel much more than a fun romp through Greece. Liv is constantly trying to keep up appearances and look put together, but she has moments when her cool exterior cracks, revealing that she wants to repair her relationship with her father and be her own person. Her father Nico is similarly flawed; while it’s clear he’s passionate about his Atlantis research and charismatic with nearly everyone he meets, he isn’t easily forgiven for the pain he put Liv through. They both make poor decisions that affect their time together, the trust they start to build is tenuous at best, and things aren’t entirely fixed by the end of the novel due to a few secrets Nico has been keeping from Liv. It’s heartwarming to see them on the road to a better relationship, but it’s also nice for that journey to be realistically paced and a bit messy in the process.

Of all the surprises the book had, none was as shocking for me as my feelings for budding documentarian Theo. He’s brash and unafraid to film every second of others’ lives; his mother co-owns Atlantis Books, and he has become Nico’s fellow Atlantis hunter and trusty cameraman. Theo and Liv clash the moment they meet, and it takes a while for her to warm up to his candidness and snark—especially with a rocky relationship with her boyfriend back home and her constant noticing of Theo’s good looks. I wasn’t sure I was going to like Theo because he initially comes off cocky and uncaring of personal boundaries, but much like he grows on Liv, I began to feel charmed by him the more I read. Underneath the bravado, he cares deeply for his mother and Nico, and his chemistry with Liv is undeniable and very sweet. He’s not perfect, and that’s what makes him so lovable.

I think my biggest takeaway from Love & Olives is that it’s okay to not be okay. There are plenty of moments when Liv feels out of her depth or lonely or frustrated, and seeing her eventually open up about her emotions is a great reminder to allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling. It’s been a rough year for all of us, but there have been bright spots here and there that I’ve clung to, much like Liv and her father see Atlantis as a buoy in a world that sometimes doesn’t make sense. And like Liv, I’ve found that it’s the people in my life that make those bright spots so much more special.

Love & Olives is out now, and I cannot recommend it enough.