Parents' Guide to

Love & Luck

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Sibs squabble in cute but contrived Irish road-trip tale.

Book Jenna Evans Welch Coming of Age 2018
Love & Luck Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

StudiousStudent
StudiousStudent Adult
June 22, 2018
age 13+

"Meh" Book

I read "Love & Gelato" by this same author and really enjoyed it, so I thought I would have enjoyed "Love & Luck." I was wrong. This book felt like it dragged on in some areas and it had a bit more language than what I wanted. Plus it had some sexual things that I didn't really appreciate (see below. But it is technically a spoiler so here is your warning:) [Spoiler ahead!] One major part of this book is how the main character is frustrated/upset at a boy named Cubby back at her hometown. You don't find out what made her so upset until the end of the book, but it is not really something I would want a younger reader knowing about. Apparently what happened is that he and she were going out together and he asked her for a topless photo of her and she sent one to him. He spread the image around the school and so the main character is now distraught.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Heartbreak, secrets, and trust are at the core of LOVE & LUCK. Addie and her family wrap up their summer with a trip to Ireland for her aunt's elaborate destination wedding. The timing is great for Addie, as her secret relationship with her longtime crush has just ended. Unfortunately, that relationship is the source of trouble between Addie and her brother, Ian. The two are usually a tight unit, but this summer they're fighting, physically and verbally. Through a series of lies and mishaps, the two siblings end up crammed in a tiny car together, driving across Ireland. Addie nabs a copy of an odd travel book --Ireland for the Heartbroken: An Unconventional Guide to the Emerald Isle -- from their hotel before they hit road. In it, she finds some truths and salves to help heal her broken heart. The basis of Ian and Addie's disagreement is unknown through most of book, but the two are forced to face each other in close quarters and eventually deal with their issues. Beautiful and historic Irish sites form much of the backdrop to the story.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (4):

The Irish scenery is the highlight of this cute but often irritating story of two feuding teens stuck in close quarters on a road trip. Love & Luck tries for feisty fun, but it lacks the charm of author Jenna Evans Welch's previous book Love & Gelato. Addie and her brother, Ian, are fighting over something that happened before their family trip to Ireland, but the reader doesn't find out what the incident was for a long time. Few clues are dropped, so the reader is left with the same endless, uninformative squabble for a few hundred pages. That approach only builds exasperation, not interest. It turns out the incident in question is pretty serious, but it's brushed off by the author after so much buildup.

On the other hand, Welch does a good job of showing the pain of trying to live up to others' expectations and how you can be close to someone but still not fully understand all that that person is going through. The story features excerpts from a fictitious Irish guidebook for the brokenhearted. In reading it, Addie learns some important life lessons, such as how to sit with pain before confronting it, how to move through adversity, and how joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately, Welch's guidebook's passages are written in an overly quirky and saccharine style that grates after a few pages. The Irish sites, history, and legends the kids discover on their trip are beautifully delivered and fun to read. And charming, sweet secondary character Rowan almost steals the show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stories where kids take off and don't tell their parents where they are, as in Love & Luck. What are the real-life dangers of this, as opposed to the way it works as a plot device in a story?

  • Have you ever made a friend online that you wanted to meet in person? What are the dangers of this? Did you discuss it with your parents and have a plan for meeting safely?

  • Do you think going back and forth in time -- a frequently used plot device in modern novels -- adds tension or interest to the story? Does it play on how well you think you know characters when they're revealed in bits and pieces?

  • If you were able to take a road trip with friends anywhere for a week, where would you go?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate