The publisher provided me with a secondary, revised copy and asked I read that instead of the Netgalley ARC
DNF 27%
I couldn’t finish this book. The main character was painful to read. She was an absolute brat. She was supposed to be 18, but acted like a spoiled middle schooler. Her mom also acted like a child. And her sister was 9 but acted like she was 6. The storytelling was mediocre at best, often having characters doing things with no real motivation. It might have gotten better later on, but I couldn’t make it that far.

when Life Gives You Lemons is a book about hitting rock bottom and finding yourself on the way back up.

I did struggle with the language, it felt a little too stiff or formal for the book. But for the most part it was easy to read and had great characters.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book because the plot sounded interesting and up my alley, but I feel like this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I gave it a 2 out of 5 stars. There were some plot points that they didn't give an answer to, or just completely forgot about.

The main character Kylie is a really spoiled, bratty character who is used to getting whatever she wants. She is not a likeable character and although I feel bad that her life was flipped upside down when the FBI busted into her home, I was hoping she would learn to be a better person as a result of it. She was so sure that all boys would love her and even after finding out one guy was gay, she still pursued him thinking that she could change his mind, which is so wrong. I do like the relationship between Kylie and Harlow, her sister. Kylie is clearly protective of her sister and that is nice to see. There is some character growth throughout the book, but it didn't help with the overall way I feel about the book.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie to you guys.. Kylie, who just happens to be the main character, was hard for me like. In the beginning, she was beyond selfish and acted like a brat to everyone. Some times I just wanted to slap her into reality because she was being completely horrible to everyone.

I mean, I get it. Her dad is on the run and the FBI took everything from them. So she moves from being rich to being poor rather quickly. Kind of sounds like an episode of Schitt's Creek (which I love). After a while, like more than halfway through the book, Kylie started to grow a heart and became likable. She definitely went through some awkward situations and it was kind of entertaining to see how she would handle them.

Then there's her dad, who was kind of an asshole and very manipulative in my opinion. Well, he got what he deserved - even if I was expecting more from the FBI or something. In the end, it was an okay book that I wasn't necessarily invested in. I'm just glad that it's over if I'm being honest.

This book started good. I loved the sister dynamic between Kylie and her sister Harlow. The way Kylie's relationship with her mom changed for good through the book, it was lovely to read about because more often than not we only read about family toxic dynamics and this was a change. Now... everything else in this book was horrible. Kylie's whole fake growth character was horrible. The rich entitlement of her was so obnoxious. The way she felt everyone will automatically love her and the nothing is wrong with her if that didn't happened was atrocious. But the worst was the fake LGBTQ representation... omg! The whole point of the character in this book was the gay best friend token and I detest it.
I know I'm probably in the minority of bad reviews because I can see why anyone would like this but this was just a big nope for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

This book reminded me so much of Schitt's Creek, which I love. An exceedingly wealthy family has their money and assets seized by the FBI and must relocate to a small town and learn to live without their luxuries. Kylie is a typical spoiled rich girl who thinks she's above her new neighbors and can't wait until all this is sorted out and she can go home. It was difficult to like Kylie at first because she can be so mean and I couldn't wait for her to get a reality check. Luckily, she quickly does and she mellows out over the story.

Kylie has a couple romantic prospects, but one is clearly better than the others. Otto is sweet and smart and doesn't let Kylie get away with being snotty or entitled around him. There's also Charles, the elderly grocer who bickers with Kylie and gives her a job. He's great, so nice to Harlow and he and Kylie sort of balance each other out. His backstory was heartbreaking and he gave some nice depth to the story.

The plot with Kylie's dad is sort of on the backburner, but it looms over everything and does resolve by the end. It wasn't my favorite part, but I am glad Kylie changed her attitude toward him and matured.

This is a quick read with some sweet and sorrowful moments. I definitely recommend this for a fun read!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I like the family dynamics such as the relationship between Kylie and her sister and the relationship between Kylie and her mother but the whole story itself isn't something that I like.

When Life Gives You Lemons Instead of Lattes
Author: Rayna York
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: ⭐️ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

- PLEASE BE AWARE THAT I DIDN’T FINISH THIS BOOK -
I don’t know how I could have gotten into this book with Kylie being such a spoilt brat. I’m assuming that at the end of the book, her character has gone a big journey and is a better person, but I didn’t have it in me to push through that. I strongly dislike a narcissist main character and the way she treated not only her family, but the people who helped her which didn’t feel real and is an overdone stereotypical YA character. The beginning felt very rushed and unrealistic (the father is suddenly accused of embezzlement and now he’s gone) and I wasn’t interested in what had happened because I was so annoyed with Kylie. After reading reviews from people who finished the book, I am disappointed to see the way they believed that handling of a character’s coming out. I quote https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6047987-lauren ‘s “Speaking of the gay representation. It feels very forced - just included to push Kylie towards Otto. It's written as a "twist," although it was clear (to me, anyway) that it was coming. The guy has to come out to Kylie to get her to stop pursuing him, because she wouldn't take no for an answer, and it's not really addressed that this is wrong. She even calls him her gay best friend later and says it's better than having female best friends because there's not as much drama, or something to that effect. Essentially, my issue with this obviously isn't that there is a gay character, but that his sexuality exists as a plot point for a straight girl/to make the straight couple work out, and he has very little of his own agency.” This makes me glad that I put down this book because that really does not sit right with me and I don’t want to read a book where this is considered acceptable because it’s anti-LGBTQ+.

I will not be publishing this review on Instagram as I do not want to give any promotion towards this book (due to it's anti-LGBTQ+ messages), but it will be available on Goodreads.

When Life Gives You Lemons Instead of Lattes follows Kylie as she adjusts to life in a small town after her father is charged with embezzlement. Once Kylie's lifestyle is ripped away, she begins to realize that she needs to take a hard look in the mirror and make some personal changes in order to be a better person. While Kylie's behavior in the book is often irritating, it was heartwarming to see the improvement throughout the story. I think that Tristan story line made the Otto love story less geniune. Overall, I'd recomment the book.

2.5

This book just wasn't it for me. What started out as a decent premise quickly turned into a tropey nightmare. The good news is that it did get mildly better toward the middle or so.

Some positives: Harlow, Charles, Otto. And that's it.

Okay, quick roundup of everything I just couldn't get on board with in this novel:

Namely, the main character.

From the very beginning Kylie is the worst kind of main character to read. She is entitled and narcissistic and just straight up a bitch. It was hard to read the beginning because it was so bad. As with all whiny teen books, she does go through a lot of character growth, so she wasn't quiiiiiite as annoying by the end. But there were still several thoughts and comments that made it sound like she hadn't grown in all of the areas. She continues to think she's hot shit. Literally. She still referred to herself as being hot in her head and to other people. Not to mention she still tries to be "friends with benefits but no sex" with a guy after she finds out he's gay. Like what? Plus she makes so many just stupid mistakes. The second-hand embarrassment was real.

The plot didn't super work for me either. The stuff with her dad got more interesting near the end, but it just wasn't something I saw as being believable or entertaining.

I could go on (believe me), but really everything comes down to an unlikable, shallow main character. I was kept mildly entertained (I mean, I managed to finish the book, s0..), but overall it's not something I would recommend.

I picked to request this title simply based on the fact that she's stuck in Ohio & that's where I'm from & live, and I just adore YA titles. and overall I enjoyed reading this book.

I'm not sure if the reaction to the LGQBT scene was intentional, but it was a bit offputting to me, I didn't enjoy how the main character reacted - so I can see where this title may not be for everyone. Combined with Kylie's personality, I don't know that I would recommend this one, but am glad I read it.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I really thought I would enjoy this. It had a good plot but the way it progressed wasn't really something I liked. The main lead, Kylie, was just really annoying for most of the book. I understood what the author was trying to accomplish but it just felt off the whole time. This book could have been so much more. The idea behind it was really good but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the title (I love a little play on a proverbial phrase), the cover (super pretty!) and I love a good coming of age story.

When the FBI shows up looking for their missing father who is accused of fraud, Kylie, her younger sister Harlow and their mother head to the only place that they can. The small town in Ohio where their mother grew up. This small town is the last place that Kylie wants to be the summer after graduating, especially without any of the luxuries that she'd become accustomed to. I won't lie, the beginning of the book drove me insane. Kylie is a stereotypical rich girl from Southern California and she reminds you of it every single second. The first few chapters are honestly a bit hard to get through. All Kylie does is treat her mother like crap (she's honestly so horrible to her mother) and try to make excuses for her dad and how she believes he's been falsely accused. Honestly, her one redeeming quality is her love of her sister.

Kylie does go through a bit of a character arc, and she does so, in my opinion fairly realistically. It's a slow process for her, but she does start to see how she's grown up so privileged and how that has skewed her view of everything. For the majority of the book every time she takes a step forward, she takes two steps back. She would acknowledge something that she did wrong but then she would continue to make the same mistakes and while that can be realistic it can also be a bit tiring to read. By the end of the book, Kylie has definitely become a more compassionate and kind person, but she still has a long way to go.

The true standout of this book are the side characters. Harlow, for being nine-years-old, is the smartest character in the entire book. She's witty and resourceful, extremely kind, and wise beyond her years. I loved her character. I loved Charles, I had a soft spot for that grumpy old man and I think he was a good person to put Kylie in her place. I also liked Otto quite a lot, and Tristian definitely deserved better than he got. Honestly, I liked all of the other characters more than I liked Kylie.

Some of the writing left things to be desired. As someone from California, I can promise you that pretty much no one (at least in Northern California) calls it Cali, so that threw me off every time. Some of the writing felt a little juvenile, though I think that was partly because Kylie was a very juvenile character. I was also very disappointed by how the coming out scene of one of the characters was handled. While no one was saying anything overtly horrible, there was some "maybe you're just confused" and that rubbed me completely the wrong way. It also was not acknowledged that it was not okay for Kylie to say any of those things, which really bothered me.

Overall When Life Gives You Lemons Instead of Lattes is a quick and easy read that is mostly enjoyable but I had some issues with characterization and how certain topics were handled.

Who here has seen Two Broke Girls? Amazing show (Kat Dennings, aka Max, is the BEST) with a simple plot: survive life in NYC.

The complicated part is that Caroline is a rich girl who is brilliant but immensely pampered that loses all her money when her father is arrested and their assets are seized.

That is Kylie in a nutshell. It is frustrating being in her head (conceited and has no idea what real life is like) but it’s an accurate portrayal of the character’s history. She should act like a spoiled brat because that’s what she is. It doesn’t make me like her any more though.

Instead, my heart is with Harlow and Otto and Charles. The side characters are fantastic and (eventually) Kylie starts getting there too. If is wasn’t for the side characters and my investment in seeing the dad’s fallout I probably would not have finished. I’m glad I did though.

Kylie’s character arc is slow but should be. The snark is on point and the intricacies of the past mixed with current is really fascinating.

I do recommend for a weekend read. Curl up and sip a latte and watch Kylie’s world fall apart so she can find herself.

So I got this as an e-book.

I found it so difficult to stay connected to the main character (Kylie) at the beginning of the book.
The way she treats everyone around her, especially her mom left me wanting giving Kylie a piece of my mind. She was so rude and disrespectful... to say the least.

However, she grows into a decent person after learning the truth about how her life wasn't what she thought it was. I enjoyed the book towards the end.

I will not reread.

I did not expect to fall in love with this one but I quickly did! I loved the plot and how heartfelt everything was as well as every character.

I just finished reading this book, and I don't even know how to begin. It was amazing, breathtaking, heart wrenching and entertaining. It was a journey that had both the highs and lows that make you appreciate everything around you. The characters were interesting, you didn't know whether to like them or not. That is until things started to change.

At first you can't help but hate the main character, she was every cliché rich, bratty, teenager, but it's her journey to self-discovery that makes you love her towards the end. That journey that makes her look deeper into her life and into her actions, sure she's still flighty at times and sassy all the time but overall, her journey takes her to places she didn't know she could go. I really enjoyed her journey and the people around her.

I feel as if each character had a special place in the story that just added to the different layers of the Journey that Kylie was experiencing. I'm not going to lie there were times where I cried like a baby, I'm way too sentimental for my own good sometimes. I won't tell you about it because I hope you pick this book up and experience it for yourself. It was really a beautifully endearing story of change and transformation. Don’t let the actions of Kylie in the beginning deter you from reading this because her attitude changes completely throughout the book. I really loved Otto too, he really did feel like a Clark Kent type of guy. I enjoyed the references to different superhero character shirts regarding him. It goes to show you that you really shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Sometimes being a teenager, you don’t realize what really is happening around you and are oblivious or manipulated into thinking and acting a certain way. Sometimes I would suggest taking a minute and really assessing your surroundings, friends, family and just taking it all in for what it’s worth. Life is hard, no one said it would be easy but it’s the friends/family you have along the way that make things so much more. I don’t know where I’m going with this, I just know I really enjoyed the book. Really touched my heart.

This YA book. was a fast read. It was quirky, fun and pretty good.
This was a heartwarming story.
The romance in this was great.
I enjoyed the character's even though Kylie did erk a nerve every now and then,
Overall the story of this book was great. I really enjoyed.

Thank You NetGalley, Publisher and Author for this copy.

I received an e-arc of When Life Gives You Lemons Instead of Lattes by Rayna York from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So this book had the feeling of a cheesy teen movie with the rich girl moves to a small town trope, and just kept going from there.
I think that if you liked Holly's character from The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand you might find similarities with Kylie in this story.
Some things I liked about the story were the side characters, especially Charles and Harlow. I thought Kylie's sister relationship with Harlow was well. I also liked Kylie's friendships with Otto and Tristian, and Otto's fascination with stargazing. I enjoyed the parts of Nana's past that we got to see as well.
What I didn't like about this book was Kylie's character for the most part. She is written well for the part of entitled rich girl, but I felt that the way she thought and acted sometimes was a little cringey and made me uncomfortable. I also thought that some of the romance was too forced and came out of nowhere.
Overall I think I'd give this book a 2.75 out of 5 stars, it wasn't what I was expecting and just wasn't a story for me.

I just finished this book. It was a quick read, and had a positive story. Do I wish the characters had more development? Yes. Did I sometimes feel like the story was moving too quickly? Yes. But I also laughed and cried, and actually really enjoyed it by the end. Thank you for sending me a copy. I really enjoyed reading this story. At first I had a hard time rooting for Kylie, but by the end I was laughing and crying with her.