Content warning: death of a mother from cancer (in flashbacks)
Summary [courtesy of Goodreads]: Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at her family’s gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago, the Plumeria. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden – her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything – left the island to pursue his music dreams. Reyna’s friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try to keep the Plumeria running. And that’s when Aiden comes roaring back into her life – as a VIP guest at the resort. Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal – the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites. And he may (or may not be) dating one of them…
This is a gorgeous YA contemporary coming-of-age/romance, and while it focuses on some heavier topics at times, it’s ultimately a feel-good and affirming story about the importance of finding joy and following your own interests and talents, rather than conforming to external (and then internalized) expectations. Set in Tobago, written by a Tobagonian author, and featuring a Tobagonian young woman who helps run her family’s hotel and has never left her country before, this novel makes the setting more than just a character–it’s, in some ways, the entire heart and soul of the story. But it’s never depicted in flat, touristy ways (though we do get lush descriptions of tourist attractions and local favorites alike, along with realistic details like mosquitoes at the beach and the smell of grease that lingers on restaurant workers’ clothes). Dass immerses the reader in main character Reyna’s life and thoughts, and it’s breathtaking to watch as she goes from the ultimate ‘insider,’ having grown up in her now-deceased mother’s hotel since she was a baby, to an outsider who’s unsure of her position in this workplace and in her relationships, all while figuring out who she truly is and what she actually wants to prioritize.
Throughout the novel, Reyna deals with intense stuff like grief, the posthumous weight of her mother’s expectations that she run the hotel, her denial of her true passion for painting, and (most fundamental to the central plot) a self-abnegating denial of her continuing feelings for Aiden, her first love and current pop superstar whose brief return to the island triggers the book. BUT, it’s also a fun romance with some really effective comedic bits sprinkled throughout.
We get luxe fashion, food, and parties via Aiden’s coterie of friends, including a surprisingly down to earth supermodel, her slightly diva-ish influencer baby sister, and Aiden’s two mischievous bandmates. They’re all deeper than they seem, and deeper than most books could manage, which makes for a truly delightful reading experience when it comes to their interactions with each other and with Reyna, the initially reluctant guide for their 3 week stay. Some would probably argue she’s written much older than her 17 years (and the same argument could be made for the other teen characters), but some teens truly do grow up quicker than others. Particularly ones who’ve lost family, had jobs from a young age, and/or become massive superstars. And while conflicts–some of them fairly high-stakes–come up, they’re all resolved by the end of the novel, and Reyna gets her happy ending, even if it’s ever so slightly bittersweet. It made me so happy.
ALSO, it’s a Persuasion re-telling (aka the BEST Jane Austen book), which I hadn’t realized until halfway through–what more could you ask for??!?!
