Dacre Vinson has spent the majority of his life in quite the predicament—even the surf and his books can’t erase his Type 1 diabetes. But when Dacre’s family moves to a new Mexican town, an eccentric girl obsessed with trees offers him a job on the spot, leading to what could be the perfect distraction from his problems.

Salbatora Tames has one true love, her avocado farm. Her family constantly nudges her to be more social, but Sal much prefers the dirt, the sun, and the solitude. Besides, trees listen better than people do.

For Sal and Dacre, their job won’t stay easy breezy for long, not when an avocado delivery to Palenque, Mexico pops up on their radar. Together, they embark on a road trip across the jungle, where they form a tighter bond. However, as obstacles arise, their new-found troubles may lead to more woes than bliss.

Title: Avocado Bliss

Authors: Candace Robinson, Gerardo Delgadillo

Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 232, Kindle edition

Publishing Date: 03/27/2020

Publishing House: Evernight Teen

Language: English

ASIN: B084X72KFL

My Review

Get your avocados on!

This novel is a sweet, contemporary romance adventure, co-authored by Candace Robinson and Gerardo Delgadillo, and spans from the US to Mexico where avocados know no bounds because let's face it, who can live without avocados? No one can!

After the last few moves due to his parents’ separation, Dacre is pretty tired of the prospects of doing so again, but he will be fine - will always be fine. What was wrong with staying in Texas, enjoying the surf, and hitting the waves? That was the life!

So, together with his siblings, he packs it up and takes a trip to see his mother in Mexico only to find a big surprise at the airport upon their arrival: Francisco, their mother's new boyfriend, close to Dacre's age! Well, this doesn't go over well at all! His mother with a younger man, a great cook, and living together too? No way.

Dacre is getting out the house the first opportunity he gets to explore the town and ends up with a job on an avocado farm, hired, on the spot, in a meet-cute with Sal, who loves her bandannas a different color each day.

Sal is working the family avocado farm from sunrise to sundown. No one takes greater care of these fruits and their trees then she does, doting over the baby plants, the plantation, and the market stands. But the family is still mourning the loss of her aunt, who died from type 2 diabetes not too long ago and who was a whiz at everything on the farm.

When Dacre and Sal get to working the fields and plantation, they hit it off perfectly without pretense. After a few weeks, they work well as a team, except for Dacre's strange needs to disappear several times a day for a few minutes. When an amazing opportunity comes along for the business, Sal's father puts her in charge of delivering a large load of avocados to a town far away, and packed up with their van, Sal and Dacre hit the road to an unforgettable and dangerous adventure.

As Dacre finds out soon, he should have told Sal, that he was diabetic too, but he didn't in order to spare Sal's worries. A mistake that ends up potentially fatal - in a Mexican jungle, full of dangerous animals!

***

I found this novel to be super cute. I adore the cover and love a sweet adventure down the romance lane with hick-ups. The idea of spanning a novel across borders added some interesting cultural aspects and spice into the mix but also uncovered boundless similarities.

The mashup of characters was refreshingly unique, albeit parts of the plot were too predictable to me, especially in the last quarter of the novel. However, I can't get over adoring this novel from cover to bandannas and the tending for avocados!

This is a novel full of heart, obstacles, and some angst in young love.

Remember, avocado is a fruit!