Love and Gelato, by Jenna Evans Welch, is a fiction, coming of age teen book.
Teenage girl, Lena, has just lost her mother to cancer. Her father has never been in the picture and she's never been told why, she figured he just abandoned her and her mother for selfish reasons. With no other family around to support her, she is sent to Italy to live with a man she thinks might be her father. She does not only meet one stranger but many other strangers her age. As the weeks pass, she finds new friendships to pursue and a new boy to crush on. However, Lena planned to move home after the summer and return to her old school with her old friends. As time passes, she finds out who her real father is and who her real friends are. Lena becomes familiar with a new place but holds on to her home.
The most intriguing part of this book is not the journey of finding her father, while that does play a big role, I find her romantic relationship throughout the book far more interesting. Lena is forced into a very uncomfortable situation, she knows no one in Italy and does not ever truly feel settled into the place. However, Lena's romantic partner, Ren makes her feel at home. This book truly inspired me to try new and scary things because you will never know who you will meet and the kind of adventures you will experience. I recommend everyone to read this book, I fell in love with the storyline and could not stop reading. I read this book in the span of 2 days, it will surely be one you won't want to set down.