Name: Yerba buena
Rating: 3.92063492063492 (63 reviews)
ISBN: 9788416517633

Nina Lacour

Yerba buena

Lindsay

How pathetic it was to let someone she rarely saw have such a hold on her life.

Emilie felt such pride, serving Colette tea in a deep blue mug that she’d bought herself, in an apartment with her own name on its lease. But also the guilt— as though the mere facts of her life were acts of betrayal. She couldn’t make sense of the two.

she did what she did best: she fell out of herself and into his story.

“You don’t need to be sorry. I’m not asking you to tell me everything. I just want to know you.”

Nina LaCour

The debut adult novel by the bestselling and award-winning YA author Nina LaCour, following two women on a star-crossed journey toward each other When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her sixth year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, pulls them apart again and again. When Sara's old life catches up to her, upending everything she thought she wanted just as Emilie has finally gained her own sense of purpose, they must decide if their love is more powerful than their pasts. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story for our time and a propulsive journey through the lives of two women finding their way in the world.

Yerba Buena

I think of LaCour as a commercial but within a very certain niche author which probably helps me to enjoy her writing as much as I do. There is something so grounded about it; it is very clear and focused and I admire the restraint with which she writes. A lesser author would have been tempted, in my view, to pad such a novel out with a lot more that may be a slump to get through (e.g. Sara's becoming a famous bartender - on one hand, it might have helped the realism of this particular plotpoint; on another, does it really matter to what the novel wants to say?) However, LaCour never seems to lose focus of the story she wants to tell.

In "Yerba Buena", I loved the way she took time to explain where each of the characters come from, where their emotional baggage comes from. It really helped to root for them to not just get together but also get the healing they deserve. I do feel that some of the outcomes were not very realistic but at the same time, LaCour wrote them with such conviction that I only considered this upon finishing the novel.

I think of LaCour as a commercial but within a very certain niche author which probably helps me to enjoy her writing as much as I do. There is something so grounded about it; it is very clear and focused and I admire the restraint with which she writes. A lesser author would have been tempted, in my view, to pad such a novel out with a lot more that may be a slump to get through (e.g. Sara's becoming a famous bartender - on one hand, it might have helped the realism of this particular plotpoint; on another, does it really matter to what the novel wants to say?) However, LaCour never seems to lose focus of the story she wants to tell.

In "Yerba Buena", I loved the way she took time to explain where each of the characters come from, where their emotional baggage comes from. It really helped to root for them to not just get together but also get the healing they deserve. I do feel that some of the outcomes were not very realistic but at the same time, LaCour wrote them with such conviction that I only considered this upon finishing the novel.

Wes Michaud

It’s safe to say that Nina Lacour is one of my favorite authors. I've loved every book of her’s that I’ve read and this one is not exception. The writing was amazing the characters the atmosphere everything about it was just *chef's kiss* the places the characters went were so well described i felt like i was there with them and the characters were so well developed and complex I can’t really say much without giving things away so I’ll end this by saying go read this book because it’s amazing

rita

book 2/3 of my camping readathon

i lovee nina lacour’s writing style but the plot kinda fell flat? like. her writing style is kinda vague but very immersive but the plot felt so repetitive and Magically Perfect i didn’t like it! maybe i’ll reread someday because ! maybe this was a me issue i feel like i should’ve loved it

lexie

i don't know. i guess i didn't liked the writing. i connected with sara tho.

GOT ME CRYING OH MY GOD. made for lesbians by a lesbian I love lesbians. (4.5)

treena

took me a quarter of the book maybe to get *invested* in the characters, it started of a little slow and i just couldn’t get there - but the second i did, i flew through the rest of the book rooting for them and wishing for a happy ending.

Cloudface

This might be my new favorite book. I’m going to do my best to organize my thoughts about it, but it’s hard to put into words how beautiful it was. 
The story jumped time and place frequently in a way that might be off putting to some readers, but I thought the author pulled it off well and the time jumps give the reader just enough information to explain why the characters are doing what they’re doing in the present moment of the story. Emilie and Sara’s love story is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read; even when they make mistakes with each other their love still feels pure. Emilie’s character development hit close to home for me, which is probably why I love this book so much. There’s a lot I could say about how much I liked the ending, too, but I don’t want to spoil it. If you’ve ever felt lonely, misunderstood, or unlovable, read this book and let it heal you a little.

Catherine Duplessis

I LOVED this one! (Check trigger warnings before reading!)
I was immediately hooked to the story. I could've read it in one sitting. We get two really well written backstories for the two main characters and it makes it so interesting to see them both act and react differently because of their past. It's in no way an easy road (it's a pretty hard one actually), but I liked the inspiring lining, the light at the end of the tunnel of it all.

The cover is 10 out of 10 and the story is 5 out of five. Well done Nina Lacour!👌🏻

I was deeply moved and deeply sad when I finished this book. So good. So so good. 

Simran Armstrong

Leonor

brianna

I really liked this book a whole lot. I liked the 2 main characters and how they figured out how to live their lives together out of the trauma and histories of the past. Lots of small colourful and charming details that I could almost taste (I'd love to try some yerba buena now). A sweet story with enough bitterness and heat to keep things interesting. 

Jeannette Ordas

When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.

Yerba Buena is an exquisitely written, slow-paced coming of age story about Emilie and Sara.

The writing is quiet, soft, and intimate. It slowly draws you in and lulls you into a security of seeing these two characters as they adapt and cope as they come together and discover who they really are.

The characters are flawed and open, honestly portraying the human ability to adapt and cope with adversity and the tough decisions life throws at you.

The story is heartbreaking and intense, as we get to know and understand these two women through these character driven pages. Each page is fuelled by suspense as you long to discover how and when these characters will come together, always with an undertone of knowing it might not work the way you're hoping for.

A beautiful, raw, and honest literary fiction full of passion and unadulterated humanity.

Victoria Justice

Yerba Buena is an exquisitely written, slow-paced coming of age story about Emilie and Sara.

The writing is quiet, soft, and intimate. It slowly draws you in and lulls you into a security of seeing these two characters as they adapt and cope as they come together and discover who they really are.

The characters are flawed and open, honestly portraying the human ability to adapt and cope with adversity and the tough decisions life throws at you.

The story is heartbreaking and intense, as we get to know and understand these two women through these character driven pages. Each page is fuelled by suspense as you long to discover how and when these characters will come together, always with an undertone of knowing it might not work the way you're hoping for.

A beautiful, raw, and honest literary fiction full of passion and unadulterated humanity.

Sarai Johnson

Did this book entertain me? Yes. Did it satisfy me? No. It reads like a moderately edgy Hallmark movie. There’s not a lick of substance in this book, but not every book can be great.

Christine Bruce

DNF at 27%. The extremely traumatic scenes in the first few chapters were too much for me, and I couldn't even focus on the remaining chapters I read. 
A trigger warning was really needed for death and sexual assault. I was no where near the right head space to read this book, and wouldn't have picked it up and threatened a panic attack had I known about these scenes. 
I'm sure its a great book, but not for me at this time. And I'm also seriously disappointed by the lack of any semblance of a trigger warning.

Rebekah Rodriguez 

Such a lovely book! An easy read but tackles difficult topics. Beautifully written with such wonderful and likable characters! I absolutely adored this book and wish it was longer but loved every moment!

Anna Olivia

This book isn't monumentally life-changing, but it's perfect for what it is. A delightful, quick read with compelling characters and an exploration of their growth through their trauma that leaves you feeling fulfilled and hopeful.

Yunna Ducharme

Good story just hard to follow the timelines. 

Lydia Enge

Julia Avila

This book became a comfort for me.  The characters felt like dear friends talking about their lives, the gentle settings tucked me in, while the general language dealt with complex issues with ease, making the whole book feel like a casual conversation. Every time I opened this book to read, a smile crept across my face. It was a delightful read full of great quotes and a realistic look at love. 

Scott Taylor

I don't know some parts of this really did it for me but others just didn't work for me. I think it would have been better if it really went there instead of trying to do too much, especially for how beautiful the writing is at certain impactful points.

Silver Hastings

Yerba buena nos lleva a través de la vida de Sara y Emilie. Como sus vidas van cambiando, como con el tiempo se van descubriendo a ellas mismas, lo que quieren, lo que anhelan. Poco a poco la vida de Emilie y Sara se entrelazan, descubrimos secretos.

Yerba buena

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