Josie Silver

Growing up, Iris’s mother made the best gelato using a recipe she got years ago from Santo, a man that she had a brief fling with. The recipe is a family secret so secret that only two family members are allowed to know it at the same time. Santo should not have given Vivien the recipe.

Iris happens to stumble upon Santo’s gelato shop while out walking but they are closed because they’ve lost the gelato recipe. Iris is torn – should she give them the recipe and risk making the family mad at Santo for giving the recipe to her mom? Iris is a chef so she decides she will offer to help Santo’s nephew Gio experiment with different ingredient combinations, knowing she will eventually lead him to the right recipe. And you know what ends up happening with them working so closely to together…

Frankly, I thought this book was boring. The writing itself wasn’t bad but it was very slow paced. I didn’t think there was good chemistry between Iris and Gio. They spent a lot of time making gelato. Like a lot. And I didn’t understand what the big deal was with Iris just telling Gio’s family that she had the recipe. I think they would have preferred that over being closed for weeks while they tried to figure out the recipe. I probably would have DNFed this book if it wasn’t one of my Book of the Month books. I paid good money for it, so I was determined to make it through!… (meer)

This may be my first five stars to a romance novel ever. And I may have had an emotional week, but ending this book with tears streaming down my face sealed the fifth star.

Now that my keyboard won't be in danger of being flooded... #AGoodCry #TooBeautiful

See the full review here!

Recommended: YES
For those who love the long play, a complex development of relationships between all characters, the pain of reality and trying to follow your heart, and for anyone who just wants to read something beautiful and is willing to get a bit weepy

Thoughts:
You know that trope in romance stories, where two people hate each other and then come to realize they love each other madly? That's not at all how the characters in this book feel about each other but it is how I felt about this book.

Since it's a love-at-first-sight story, the romance was a bit lacking for me at first, because there was no build between the characters where I could get to know them and fall in love too, and enjoy the anticipation of love. It was hard to buy in to how Laurie couldn't contain her grief when her bff Sarah started dating Jack, the love-at-first-sight target.

This isn't heavy on the steamy stuff, but it's mastery of emotions. Even if you're not typically a romance reader, this is likely one that will suck you in. Evidenced by the fact that the copy I got from the library was thoroughly worn in with spine cracks and page bends galore. And my god, do I understand why. That's exactly as this book should be.… (meer)