About the Book
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Author:
- Amy Lea
- Voices:
- Chinese Diaspora
- Cis Girl
- Straight
Cover Story: Fancy Shower?
BFF Charm: Roger Murtaugh
Talky Talk: Serviceable
Bonus Factors: Italy, Kick-Ass Aunties
Factor: Love Triangles
Relationship Status: Fated? Eh…
Cover Story: Fancy Shower?
Is it a tiled spa floor, is it a tiled bathroom wall? We’ll never know!
The Deal:
Lo Zhao-Jensen’s female family members have been fortune tellers as far back as they can remember with the unique ability to foretell their own soulmate. Lo has lived with the shame of being the only one without this ability UNTIL a hot summer night between freshman and sophomore year at college, when the vision hits her in the middle of a make-out sesh.
The timing is perfect, actually, because it foretells that she will meet The One during her backpacking trip to Italy. Lo and her college roommate, Bianca, will be following the itinerary her aunt and deceased mom took on their trip twenty years ago. How romantic, right?!
Except Bianca breaks her foot the day before they leave, so Lo has to recruit her high-school boy bestie, Teller, to join her so she won’t be staying in hostels alone. She and Teller haven’t seen each other in a year…when did he get those abs?
BFF Charm: Roger Murtaugh
Lo puts a lot of stock in these fortune-telling abilities, especially as it makes her feel closer to her mom, who died when she was too young to have any memories of her. This means she clings to these visions a little too hard, even as the people around her tell her to trust her gut. The second-guessing, hemming and hawing was a bit much at times—just speak your truth, girlie!—but it was relatable—yeeeah, it’s not always that easy! I share in her love of romantic comedies, and as an introvert, I’d love someone extroverted like her to tag along on a trip to help me make friends with the randos at my hostel.
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Lo meets Caleb as he’s literally saving her life, and he’s exactly what the vision ordered: gorgeous, spontaneous, and gregarious. But I’m sure you’ll understand by my inclusion of Teller in The Deal that the course of true love doth not run smoothly. Lo and Teller are pure opposites that share an undeniably comfortable rapport, and if Lo has always had the teeniest, tiniest crush on Teller since the 10th grade, well, it didn’t matter because he was always with Sophie, and she was always dating some underrated jock.
I appreciated that there were plenty of moments where Lo and Teller were truly just friends versus a constant, secret pining. Also…kudos to the author on the makeout moments!
Talky Talk: Serviceable
My interest in this book was piqued when I heard that Lea was inspired by the 1994 rom-com Only You (starring an adorable Marisa Tomei and a YOUNG Robert Downey Jr.), which I have seen multiple times. This book is not a one-for-one remake, thankfully, but does bring up similar themes of traveling in Italy, natch, and whether you’re fated to be with a specific person. Unfortunately, while Lea crafted a serviceable romance, there was nothing that particularly stood out to make it memorable long beyond closing the back cover. I got a bit frustrated with Lo and her decisions near the end of the book, and parts of the beginning of their trip dragged a bit.
Bonus Factor: Italy
It seemed like 2024 was the year everyone on social media traveled to Italy EXCEPT ME. I really need to make it there one of these days. That being said, I don’t think this book showed off the country as well as other travel-romance books. There were plenty of moments where Italian things were mentioned, or touristy things were summarized as “they went here and there”, but if you took those out and just read the major moments…would it have mattered if the story was set in Italy?
Bonus Factor: Kick-Ass Aunties
While Lo will always miss her mother, she has always had wonderful, unwavering support in her mom’s sisters, Ellen and Mei. I love a good auntie in a story; they are always ready with sound advice and some kind of treat.
Factor: Love Triangles
If you want me to believe in a love triangle, both love interests really need to be stellar options. Teller obviously got a lot of page-time, and, to Lea’s credit, Caleb was a decent dude, but he did a LOT of monologuing versus conversing. Perhaps he’d work for others, but some of his views on life were making my eyelid twitch.
Relationship Status: Fated? Eh…
You’re nice, Book, but I can’t imagine that I’d be hit with a vision of us together forever. If you’d like to show me around Italy on your Vespa, I’ll take the free ride, but please don’t get down on one knee.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Skyscape. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Something Like Fate is available now.
