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Review: Cafe Con Lychee

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Title: Café Con Lychee

Author: Emery Lee

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: May 10, 2022

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Cafe Con LycheeSummary

Theo’s ultimate goal is to leave Vermont for college to stop working at his parent’s Asian American café. Plus, it means leaving behind Gabi, the son of his parents’ rival and the bane to their soccer team’s existence. Meanwhile, Gabi is stuck in the closet. Forced to play soccer to hide his love for dance, his only getaway is his parents’ Puerto Rican bakery.

When a new fusion café opens up and threatens both Theo and Gabi’s restaurants, Theo comes up with a plan to sell food at school to drum up business. However, after he sprains his writs playing soccer, Gabi gets roped into helping. In order to save both of their parents’ shops, they have to work together. Even as sparks start to fly between them.

Review: Café Con Lychee

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of Café Con Lychee to review! Meet Cute Diary was one of my favorite reads of last year, so I was excited to see what Lee came up with next. Happy to say e didn’t disappoint! While this book has different vibes than Meet Cute Diary, Lee just has a knack for writing teenagers.

Much like in Meet Cute Diary, I loved the characters in this. They felt like fully fleshed out teenagers. Not just Theo and Gabi, but the side characters as well. Of course, we get some friendship drama, which absolutely felt true to life. Gabi’s own struggles with coming out and figuring out how to tell his parents felt natural and will definitely pull at your emotions. Theo is out, but has his own struggles with his family, even if it doesn’t come from his parents. Moving from rivals to friends to something more felt natural and realistic and I loved every moment of it.

And the food! There are some lovely, wonderful descriptions of food in here. You’ll be sucked into Theo and Gabi’s story and definitely feel hungry once you finish it. While you might be able to see the ending coming, you won’t care because you love the characters so much.

All in all, if you’re looking for a fun, food-themed rivals to lovers romance to read this summer, definitely pick this one up!

4/5 stars

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