Cute, if not a little predictable, romance YA

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee 🎧 Avi Roque + Kurt Kanazawa 🍓 pgs: 311, quick pace 🍉 genre: ya, enemies to lovers, hatred-to-love 🥝 tw: outing, homophobia, parental issues 🍌 smut: several "almost" kisses/one kiss 😘 There was something that @whit.of.the.read said the other week (Aug 15th) that resonated with me, and I would like to discuss it with Café Con Lychee: There are books that do not necessarily resonate with me but have a resounding message that makes them worthwhile reading. Despite not working for me, Café Con Lychee had such a powerful message, and as much as I wish I had it at a different time and place, I am glad it exists. 🙏🏾 The novel balances two points of view, Gabi and Theo, and while I would normally adore the balance between them, especially in a ✨gay✨ novel, I did not find it to be as effective as I had hoped. It was more enjoyable to read about Theo than Gabi, and I felt disconnected from the constant shifts in the narrative (especially in the audiobook). Having said that, the novel does an excellent job of building a problem, obtaining a solution, and providing a satisfying HEA. 🥰 The novel deals with homophobia within parental structures, which is always an aspect of romance that I appreciate seeing because it ties two people together and helps them cope with the difficulties of becoming oneself despite adversaries. Due to the short length of the novel, it was constructed well enough. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers concept. I am typically not a big fan, but this shift from "don't touch me" to "please ✨fuck/kiss✨ me" is particularly tasty. 👅 I do not know why but Theo going from "fuck off" to "kiss me" did som'. 😭😍 It is extraordinary how well Theo and Gabi complement one another; Gabi is so sweet and timid, whereas Theo is more aggressive and frenzied. The two create a nice balance that carries the book forward in an effective manner, and in spite of the lack of depth, it worked reasonably well given the quick pace.

I wasn't very convinced about this before I started reading but the thought of a book about two rival cafes is what sold me. And I'm glad I read it, I loved it! But I related to Theo and Gabi so much that it hurt! Great read though, don't regret it.

4.75 🌟🌟

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! I haven’t been reading much YA or contemporary lately, but this enemies to lovers fusion food queer rom-com definitely caught my eye enough to take a chance. And if you’re looking for a fun, food-filled rom-com that will make you hungry, then you’ve come to the right place … enemies to lovers, though, not so much. Our two protagonists are Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno, the sons of two rival businesses. Theo is hot-headed and the star soccer player; Gabriel is anxious and sticks to the sidelines. They’re polar opposites in every way, but forced to work together to save their family businesses. I liked both of them well enough — they’re both two sixteen year olds being crafty out of desperation and familial pressure, which I could empathize with. Even though the romance is advertised as enemies to lovers, it’s really a one-sided dislike to lovers, so I found that aspect really underwhelming. I liked the slow burn, though, and that we saw their relationship to each other change (even if it felt faster than it should have been). I also liked the coming of age part with both boys finding themselves getting to know more about each other. If you’re looking for a fun queer rom-com, Café con Lychee is definitely something to look forwards to.

BUBBLE TEA + ROM COM?????? another made-for-me and yes it was perfect and amazing

theo mori i would die for u and ur empty head / 4 stars