This was a pretty entertaining story, and I especially loved the cafe setting as a backdrop to the romance. It was my first Emery Lee and I'd definitely pick them up again!

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee was a lackluster sophomore novel that is the epitome of “bite off more than one can chew…” While I had really high hopes for Café Con Lychee, all in all, almost everything about the book felt forced, and in return, fake. None of the friendships (or relationships) within the book were inspirational or motivational. The enemies to lovers trope was not believable, to say the least. The ins and outs of the high school and its dynamics were laughable and made absolutely no sense at all. Don’t even get me started about Theo and Gabi’s families… While I completely understand that I am an adult reading a young-adult book, the author is an adult writing a young-adult book. It should be important to at least make sure that everything is practical, especially for a YA contemporary romance.

<I>"But she doesn't get it. Yeah, I'm a teenager, but that doesn't mean my life isn't important. It doesn't mean my actions don't have consequences. And it definitely doesn't mean that my parents always know what's best. They may not see it now, but I know they'll regret selling the shop if they go through with it, and I'll be the one stuck dealing with the fallout."</I>

TL;DR: An *eventually* semi-sweet romance + coming-out-narrative & processing internalized homophobia & self-hatred, ultimate weighed down by its ANGRY and Angsty main characters who are all just plain mean to each other.
<b><i>I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</b></i>

Vibes: A somehow-even-more-dramatic Romeo & Juliet + [book:Last Chance Books|55004134] + the save-the-restaurant subplot of [book:Miss Meteor|49779755]

Genre: True YA Contemporary Gay Romance
**Definitely True YA.
MCs Theo and Gabi are really self-centered, focusing on how everything going on around them affects them, and not the other people. They also believe they know better than most of the adults in their lives, who are painted to be Awful Parents, when they really aren't that bad.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Enemies-to-Lovers Trope.

Character MVP: Honestly...none of them.

Verdict: Okay, I gave it two books. When I dislike a book, I make it a point to read another of the author's books. Like, maybe it was me -- maybe I was grumpy or had a book hangover, IDK. Maybe this next book will be different. And in some cases it is! I wasn't a fan of Bethany C. Morrow's duology, but I loved her Little Women remix.

But, much like <i>Out of the Blue</i> and Jason June, I think I've realized that Emery Lee is not the author for me.

Here's what worked for me:
✔️ -- An eventually sweet romance -- the last 5% of so, everything worked out, and Gabi & Theo got their Happily Ever After (even if some of the characters gave me book-whiplash with how fast they turned around)
✔️ -- Gabi & Theo are characters who break / transcend (Model) Minority Stereotypes
Gabi is a Puerto Rican boy who is awful soccer and doesn't even enjoy it, preferring dance
Theo is the son of Chinese & Japanese parents who isn't good at school (although he is smart), plays sports, and is often disrespectful to (everyone in) his family
✔️ --

But here's the thing: not a lot happens in this book, plot-wise, so it's not a plot-driven book.
And it's not really a character driven book either because (1) no one really changes because (2) most of the characters are really one-dimensional and flat and just plain unlikable.

Like, everyone in this book is MEAN to each other -- to the point where I don't really don't know why they're friends at all.
Theo's BFF, Justin, is...the son of divorced parents? And the only other Asian kid in the school? And in and on-again-off-again with Clara. That's all I know about him, and he mainly exists to give Theo someone to bitch to.
Gabi's BFF, Melissa, is hyper focused on pulling off Homecoming to the point of becoming monomaniacal shrew.

There's so much ANGER and (self)HATRED running through this book, it's a little exhausting to read. Yes, characters get their Happily Ever After at the end, but it all wraps up so neatly at the end, that I'm not sure it completely justifies the negativity in the first 95% of it.

Especially when there's a lot telling not showing. Like, Gabi has clearly internalized a lot of homophobia from his parents, who aren't really depicted that way until one moment 70% through the book.
And Theo HATES his family so much -- he's got a grudge against his older brother and he says his parents are unsupportive and hard on him, which doesn't really fit with the little bit we see of them.

So...IMO, this book will find an audience with those teens who are angry at the world and think they know better than the adults around them (like, really -- 2 teenage boys *really* know the ins-and-outs of the family's financial situation better than their parents? When one of them steals tips from them? Nope.), and are angry at the world and need to process their feelings.

But I couldn't empathize or sympathize with Theo and, to a lesser extent, Gabi.

Much like [book:Meet Cute Diary|53180089] and Noah, Theo's definining character traits are that he's (1) ANGRY -- like rageful, all the time -- and (2) selfish and narcissistic. Like, he's the love child of the worst parts of Jamie Tartt and Roy Kent from <i>Ted Lasso</i>.

I *am* his best "friend," Justin: <I>"The whole Gabriel Moreno thing. Like, yeah, I get it, the kid's annoying and your parents are rivals or whatever, but he just wanted to help you. It's not like he skinned your cat or something."</I>

I *genuinely* don't understand his visceral hatred for the kid. And I say "friend," because Theo is awful to Justin to. And to his parents. He's just a genuinely awful person:
<I>"It's so fucking annoying that my parents agreed to having us work together. I can't say it's particularly out of character for them to make decisions for me, but this is a whole new level of low. And even bitching to them on the ride home and telling them that Gabriel is actually their rival's son did nothing to change their minds, considering that they have a complete inability to ever admit they may have been wrong about something.
When I get to school, Justin asks me how my wrist is doing, and I ignore him. Eventually, he'll get the hint that I see him as a traitor now. And hopefully that realization comes before the final bell so he can apologize before I'm supposed to go to his place after school to work on new recipes."</I>

It's Noah all over again: this person who is just angry all the time and awful to people around him and so self-righteous about everyone doing him wrong.

Now, I get that (1) some teenagers are like this, and there are very angry, self-righteous people in the world and this book will probably really resonate with them; and (2) not liking Theo and having his flaws be irritating might be part of his journey. But, if Theo is like Noah, there won't be growth or development; he won't change or realize that he's being a dick; he'll just keep doing it.

✖️ -- There is a lot of people calling their supposed friends "asshole" and "bitch." I mean, okay, but again. ANGRY.
✖️ -- It really bothers me that Theo *never* apologizes to Gabi for being so hateful and cruel toward him. There are a lot of apologies going around, especially at the end, but unless I missed it, never one from Theo to Gabi.
✖️ -- Even at the end, Theo is still really self-centered -- especially when it comes to soccer and how *amazing* of a player he is and how much better he is than everyone around him. He really doesn't seem to learn much.
✖️ -- I am slightly confused that this book was set in Vermont. Not to say there aren't homophobic people in Vermont, because they're everywhere, but...IDK. The first state to legally recognize same-sex unions seems an odd choice to set a book about internalized homophobia and self-hatred. (I get that the issue might be more of a homophobia-in-minority-families thing, but in Vermont, I would have thought that as a general rule, people were more welcoming and tolerant.)

Overall, not the book for me, although I'm certain it will find a devoted reader base.

Cute YA fiction is perfect for those who enjoyed The Heartbreak Bakery or A Pho Love Story. Lee does a lovely job describing food, I would not recommend reading this book while hungry!

Café Con Lychee is a beautiful, gripping exploration of interracial queer relationships and complicated family relationships complicated by cultural beliefs and values..

Immediately after finishing Emery Lee’s sophomore novel, I ordered copies for my classroom and personal libraries. This one is a 10/10 and I highly recommend.

*thank you to hccfrenzy for a giveaway copy*

Now, I haven’t finished reading the book, but, from the 60 pages I did read of the arc version, I very much enjoyed it!! I have a physical copy and the audiobook version of it, so when I do finish reading, it will be the finished copy version. I really did enjoy the arc version but I prefer reading finished copies when I have one! This is definitely going to be a 4 star, maybe even 5 star, read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about Theo Mori, who's half chinese and half japanese, who's parents run a shop. His family happens to be sworn enemies with the other POC run shop in their small, mostly white neighborhood and that shop happens to be owned by the parents of Gabriel "Gabi" Moreno.

Theo is the only out guy in their high school and can best be described as grumpy. Gabi is super clumsy and is very conscious of Theo because Gabi happens to be in the closet. They both happen to be in the soccer team at school but Gabi's clumsiness plus their families' rivalries equals awkward interactions between them.

I liked this books because the behavior shown by Gabi's family was very accurate. My family isn't Puerto Rican but they are Latinos and I can definitely say that men are very conscious about not doing things that are "too feminine." I actively rebelled against such ideas that were very present in my family life growing up. I don't think I changed my family's point of view (misogyny, homophobia, anti-blackness, etc.) but at least they knew better than say some things for fear of me becoming upset. This is a common scenario in BIPOC families even in places like Chicago, which is were I live. And even here, there is an alarmingly high number of queer kids that have been disowned and kicked out of their homes after they came out of the closet. Sometimes, like it was in my case, the families get along with their kids, in spite of their queerness. All in all to say that Gabi's hesitation to confront his family's comments and homophobia wasn't an overreaction on his part and I'm glad it was shown so accurately.

Also, I like how this story highlights communication. A lot happened after people were able to just sit down and talk. Even though it sounds simple, it isn't, and I'm glad it is portrayed in a teen title.

Theo Mori is an openly gay Asian American soccer player at his school who wants nothing more than to escape his small town life and save his parents restaurant from being turned into a spa by his uncle. Gabi Moreno has had to hide that fact that he is gay from everyone due to his family’s extreme prejudice. He is forced to play soccer and has to hide that he wants to dance ballet. His parents Puerto Rican restaurant is about to close its doors after years of being the only rival to Theo’s parents place for ethnic food in town. Now a new fusion place opened up and both restaurants are in danger. After years of Theo hating Gabi, now they have common ground. Together they work so save their parents restaurants and learn more about each other and themselves in the process.
A thank you to Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. I love this type of story. Rivals to relationship. Theo is Mr. Popular and Gabi is so the guy who cant say no to his friend or his family, but is such a nerd (not a bad word) that he has no way of acting normal around the one person he likes. He wants to come off cool, but it all comes out dorky or rude. I’ve read another book by Emery Lee, and I have to say I liked this one much better then Meet cute diary. Like most books, I see flaws, but the story is once that did have me smiling at times. I guess my biggest issue is probably that Theo’s emotions and actions don’t seem honest to who he is, especially when it comes to Gabi and his coming out to Theo and everything that comes after. Overall it was a good story and I’m really glad I read it, but I feel like I have read similar stories, but this one was probably more diverse in its characters.

I am a big fan of LGBTQ+ books and I though this one was really cute. Not only was this an LGBTQ+ book but it also had people of color. I will say I did find some parts of the novel super young. But that is what you get when you read a YA book as an adult. But I loved the characters finding themselves and getting there happy ever after. I think this is a great pride month read.

Cafe Con Lychee was on my "have to read" list since I read the summary several months ago. I often have a hard time diving into realistic and contemporary fiction, but the premise of the book had me hoping I would enjoy it. Emery Lee's storytelling did not disappoint.

At the core is a romance of kids that work at their parents' rival restaurants, with each of them wanting their parents to succeed in business for different reasons. But it stretches beyond that. Interwoven in the core story are the struggles of growing up within and outside your culture. There's a current of self-doubt that runs through as one of the main characters struggles with his sexuality and keeping it hidden--and if being hidden is even the right thing to do. It's real and visceral in a way that has you rooting for them to get past all the misunderstandings and live. The nerves that surround the idea of telling your parents, especially ones that seem to agree with religious or conservative viewpoints in regards to sexuality, hit home for me.

Overall, Cafe Con Lychee was heartwarming, real, and relateable in all the ways that mattered. It's a novel I will be adding to my class library for students to pick up and borrow for sure.

This was a netgalley advance copy.

This was enemies-to-lovers, which for me can go very well or very poorly. This went... sort of in the middle? It took me a few tries to get into it, but once i did, I liked it, and then once i finished, it totally evacuated my brain.

It's a queer ya romance dealing with gentrification and working together on a shared problem! All things i love! The characters were a little flat and the relationships didn't always work. On balance, i think that's a solid 3 star book. I do appreciate that it feels very appropriate for a high school library.

I loved the premise of the book! The representation of Theo's and Gabi's respective cultures was great. The talks surrounding coming out and facing homophobia in this book really stuck with me. I also liked that the characters had negative emotions and had to deal with issues that did not have anything to do with the romance. Plus, the book's ending was adorable!

However, I never really got invested in Theo's and Gabi's relationship and I felt that the romance was overshadowed by the animosity they had for each other. Theo's and Gabi's friendships seemed slightly manufactured and some of the teen characters behavior's seemed blown out of proportions. Theo's point of view could get hard to read because of he carried so much anger and some of his chapters were written in a pessimistic tone.

This was a pretty delightful YA romance. There was a lot that worked, and some things that didn't really land.

What worked for me was the amazing rep for diverse teens. You have a Chinese-Japanese MC and a Puerto Rican MC who are very much embedded in their cultures and families, and dealing with the particular challenges that come from growing up the children of immigrants in America. There are so many culturally specific details included, so it definitely felt purposeful and important to the entire story and to the characters themselves.

It's a YA book, so that means emotions are big, angst is big, and everyone is trying really hard to figure out their life. Take the entire plot with a grain of salt, because a lot of it happens for Romance Reasons (like really - how DO they get away with illegally selling food DURING CLASS that they are also cooking on site?!)

What didn't work so well was the variety of other characters - I don't think I had a single sympathetic female character in the entire book. Honestly, all of these friendships were kind of toxic? And I get the enemies to lovers premise, but it took nearly half of the book for one MC to realize that yes, in fact, he was the a**hole and should probably stop hating on the other MC just because.

I kept waiting for more chemistry and pining to appear between the MCs as well, once they started becoming actual friends, but the touch was so light on that I missed it until nearly the end of the book.

Overall, a cute story, a quick read, missed a few marks for me but still had fun.

This is a cute book that hits all the marks for topics that teens will be interested in... or should be interested in. I loved the setting and some of the more minor characters. It's not the type of book that adults will want to read, and that's fine. Not all YA is. I would hope that this book would find its way into all school libraries and would probably be a hit even with reluctant readers. Oh, and it will make you hungry if you do read it!

*4.25 Stars*

Theo Mori is annoyed at everything. He just wants to get out of this town, away from his parents' restaurant and from school and from Gabi Moreno who's the enemies' son (his parents also have a restaurant) and therefore is the enemy himself. But when a new fusion café opens, he has to put his anger aside and accepts Gabi's help.
Gabi Moreno is not doing great. He's as deep in the closet as humanly possible and his parents have decided to close the restaurant he's grown up in. He just has to figure out something and joining forces with Theo Mori seems like a foolproof plan. What if Theo hates him? He doesn't need to be liked, right? Right?

I enjoyed this. The characters felt really layered to me and I actually took me some time to really like Theo which was very interesting.
The plot was well-paced and I enjoyed where it took me. I really like the competitive restaurants storyline and I was really into it. It made me so hungry too.
I enjoyed seeing the characters grow and their relationships with it. I also found the friendships interesting and most of all, the family dynamics.
All in all, this was a good, fast read that could have enthralled me more but it still made me want to read whatever Emery Lee writes next.

My Thoughts:
Theo Mori feels like he is the disappointing second son and carries the pressure to help save his family's failing Asian American café, as well as give his high school soccer team at least one win in a winless season. Never mind that he seems to be the only openly gay student in his high school. Never mind that unlike his older "golden boy" brother, his grades are so low that college seems impossible. Never mind that Gabi Moreno continues to literally knock him down in soccer practice and is the only son of the rival Puerto Rican bakery, the only other ethnic business in town. When a fusion café opened by white owners opens up and steals customers from both businesses, Theo has to let go of his anger toward his parents, towards his brother and especially towards Gabi in order to find love, happiness, and a solution to the family problems.

You know that Theo and Gabi are going to get together (once Gabi is able to come out of the closet). Just look at the cute cover. It's inevitable and is not a spoiler at all. What is a surprise is how long it takes the characters to realize what we as readers already know. Just kiss the boy already!

This is a cute romcom first love LGBTQ YA novel. and a good mix to shake up our shelves.

From the Publisher:
From the author of Meet Cute Diary comes a delectable rom-com that’s brimming with zest and a sprinkle of sweetness. A must-read for fans of Casey McQuiston and Julian Winters.

Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.

Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his parents’ shop as his future. Stuck under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Theo’s best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents’ livelihood is secure.

So when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth—they can only achieve their goals by working together to cook up an underground bakery operation and win back their customers. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents’ shops or will the new feelings between them boil over?

Author: Emery Lee

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Publication date: May 10, 2022

Super cute. Good LGBTQ representation. Enjoyed the dynamic of rival families and these two coming together. There is some back and forth that didn't do much of anything for this which Is why it got 4 instead of 5 stars. But over all Super cute.

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee combines rival restaurants with secret scheming in a story of unlikely friendship and embracing one’s true self. As a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, I enjoyed the dynamic between Theo and Gabi as they come together to save their family restaurants, and the differing dynamics between both families are well-written. This book is both entertaining and heartbreaking, and it is perfect for those who enjoy a contemporary that delves into more serious themes.

Theo and Gabi are not friends. Beyond their parents’ restaurant rivalry, the two keep their distance on the soccer field until Gabi accidentally sprains Theo’s wrist. However, when a new fusion café threatens to put both of their restaurants out of business, the two must work together to find a solution. Under the guise of running deliveries for Theo’s family restaurant and planning for the upcoming homecoming dance, Theo and Gabi secretly sell food at school to make up for lost funds. As they spend more time together, they realize that they have more in common than they thought, and their relationship blossoms into friendship and something more.

❀ ENJOYABLE CHARACTERS

Both Theo’s and Gabi’s perspectives are included in the book, and I enjoyed the way their personalities contrast. Theo is, cool, confident, and comfortable with his sexuality while Gabi struggles to come out and must learn to be himself. This is no easy task as Gabi’s father doesn’t support queerness and frequently makes homophobic remarks. I have to admit, I enjoyed Gabi’s character much more than Theo’s, but I still loved reading about the ways they change each other for the better.

❀ STRONG FAMILY DYNAMICS

One of the aspects I found particularly strong is the look at family dynamics. Both Theo and Gabi face different struggles at home, and their families’ reactions to their sexualities differ. While Theo is out, he feels as though his parents aren’t fully supportive, and Gabi must find the confidence to stand up to his father. These moments in the book are heartbreaking, but I appreciated the realism to the characters’ stories, and I enjoyed the direction they take at the book’s end.

❀ BALANCES HUMOUR WITH HEARTBREAK

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee balances humour with heartbreak in a story about growth and unexpected relationships. I loved the way the story is centred around rival restaurants, and while I didn’t find the main characters the most likeable, I enjoyed the ways they influence each other. The complex family dynamics are especially well-written, making this a great read for those looking for a contemporary that delves deep into relationships.

Very cute, very wholesome, and made me hungry 😝 will definitely recommend to my students looking for more lgbt stories!

I really wanted to enjoy this book and had such high hopes for it, but I didn't like either of the main characters. Theo is overly rude and Gabi is annoying. Their relationship also felt forced, and Theo's reasons for initially disliking Gabi were blown out of proportion.