Sunday, May 22, 2022

Café Con Lychee

 

My Thoughts:

Theo Mori feels like he is the disappointing second son and carries the pressure to help save his family's failing Asian American café, as well as give his high school soccer team at least one win in a winless season. Never mind that he seems to be the only openly gay student in his high school. Never mind that unlike his older "golden boy" brother, his grades are so low that college seems impossible. Never mind that Gabi Moreno continues to literally knock him down in soccer practice and is the only son of the rival Puerto Rican bakery, the only other ethnic business in town. When a fusion café opened by white owners opens up and steals customers from both businesses, Theo has to let go of his anger toward his parents, towards his brother and especially towards Gabi in order to find love, happiness, and a solution to the family problems.

You know that Theo and Gabi are going to get together (once Gabi is able to come out of the closet). Just look at the cute cover. It's inevitable and is not a spoiler at all. What is a surprise is how long it takes the characters to realize what we as readers already know. Just kiss the boy already!

This is a cute romcom first love LGBTQ YA novel. and a good mix to shake up our shelves.

From the Publisher:

From the author of Meet Cute Diary comes a delectable rom-com that’s brimming with zest and a sprinkle of sweetness. A must-read for fans of Casey McQuiston and Julian Winters.

Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.

Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his parents’ shop as his future. Stuck under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Theo’s best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents’ livelihood is secure. 

So when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth—they can only achieve their goals by working together to cook up an underground bakery operation and win back their customers. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents’ shops or will the new feelings between them boil over?

Author: Emery Lee

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Publication date: May 10, 2022

No comments: