I listened to an ALC of this book and omg Julia Whelan is truly one of the best narrators around. 

I will start off by saying that this book has heavy trigger warnings. Because of the trigger warnings and how heavy the book starts off, I did have to take a short break from it when I first started listening to it. But once I picked it up again I flew through it. Sara and Emilie both carry a lot of pain and trauma from their childhoods and we see their individual lives unfold and how it brings them together. From their first meeting, their connection was there and you could feel it so clearly. As time goes on and they come in and out of each other’s lives, you are left with so much angst and yearning and honestly, it was done so well. 

The ending was perfect for the story and for the characters. Did I wish and hope for more? Of course, but I understand why it ended the way it did. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. 

Thanks to Flatiron Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - YERBA BUENA is a small book that packs a big punch. It cuts right to the heart, looking both the best and worst life has to offer straight in the eye.
- This book does a great job of showing how trauma stays with you, but that doesn't mean your life will be devoid of joy and growth. 

This was a book that hit so many of my soft spots. The writing feels quiet, but it still packs a punch. And while this book is blurbed as a love story, it certainly isn't a romance novel. Throughout most of the book, the story focuses more on each of the main character's personal journey and the hardships that they face rather than the relationship between the two of them. That led to a net of relationships that all felt real to me, with both Sara and Emilie having important, genuine connections outside their romantic relationship. I also loved the role that food played in this book - when Sara and Emilie meet, Sara is a bartender and Emilie a florist, and they meet while working at the restaurant Yerba Buena. The description of the different flavour notes of Sara's cocktails, the gumbo that Emilie learns to make based on her Creole ancestry, and all the other food that is being eaten in this book really made me crave some tasty food. I sometimes wished the middle part of the book had focused a bit more on Sara's perspectives than Emilie's, because I felt much more immersed in Emilie's character at that point, but I also liked that I got to spend longer stretches of time with one character instead of constantly switching back and forth. At the end of the day, I found myself unable to put down this book until I had finished it, and I think spending these hours with two messy, queer girls trying to deal with the scars their lives have left on them was a great choice.

This review is based on an uncorrected, advanced reading copy.

A free ARC of this title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed Nina LaCour’s writing for some time now, but admittedly I haven’t kept up much with her recent works, so hearing about Yerba Buena was an exciting surprise. Following her shift from young adult to adult writing feels oddly fitting and personal—I first read one of her novels as a young teenager, maybe even a pre-teen, and now I too am, at least legally, an adult. Unfortunately, though Yerba Buena is poignant and beautiful, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. 

Writing-wise is where the novel primarily shines—it’s been some time now since I last read LaCour’s earlier pieces, so I can’t really recall enough to compare (not that I would be too inclined to if I could), but her style here reads very cleanly and smoothly. Each sentence flowed well, and there was a definite neat balance of showing and telling. The writing is somewhat subdued and laidback, if looked at as a whole, but that adds to the general quiet warmth Yerba Buena exudes. 

In substance, Yerba Buena does have a great deal to offer. It’s a very human work, driven by character and emotion. The handling of trauma and healing in particular is very thoughtful and compelling. A great deal of heavy subject matter is present—some of which I wish I had known about in advance, though it fortunately doesn’t affect me too severely—but it’s treated with care, and the note on which things end is a soothing yet realistic one. There is closure, but it is acknowledged and shown that recovery isn’t a simple, linear process. I do wish that some things and their aftermath had been touched upon more, but I’m overall satisfied with how these themes are depicted. 

While romance ends up being an important element in Yerba Buena’s narrative, I’d actually hesitate to classify it as a romance outright, which I consider a positive. Its focus ends up primarily just being people’s lives and bonds, including but not elevating romantic relationships. The portrayal of complicated family relationships, from loving to distant to both at once, was interesting and engaging as well. 

To speak on the romance in specific, though: Sara and Emilie’s dynamic is very understated and well-written. It doesn’t actually feel like the “star-crossed” type of connection the blurb cites, just two troubled people who have managed to find each other and choose to work toward a relationship, which is super refreshing and nice to see. It’s a fairly minor thing to take note of, but I also liked that it was far from either’s first relationship (even if I have mixed opinions on Emilie’s prior romances). The development itself is a little rushed, but it slows effectively enough to appreciate and enjoy. With a tad more buildup, it would definitely rank as one of the best relationships I’ve seen in fiction as of late. 

Getting involved in the characters’ lives and stories was easy enough, but ultimately, I feel that I lack understanding of who they truly are. Their hardships and struggles well outweigh the softer, quieter moments, which makes their exact characterization hard to get a grasp on. This is perhaps the point, as finding identity is a major theme, but it kept me from investing in full. There are some side characters I wish had been delved deeper into as well; though the cast is broad enough in theory, no particular characters are really explored in great detail. With how character-driven the novel is, this is likely its most glaring flaw. 

The pacing also felt a bit strained in places; I had some trouble keeping up with the timeline, although this admittedly could have been on my part more so than the book’s, as I got through it far faster than I expected or planned. I did like that certain backstory scenes established early on were embellished upon later, but I’m not certain that their actual inclusion to open the novel was the most effective choice. Some loose ends remain by the conclusion as well, but I wasn’t actually especially bothered by most. 

Yerba Buena is a well-written piece with a number of intriguing themes and things to say, but I found it to fall flat in some areas. I enjoyed my time with it—perhaps a bit too much, if my reading speed is anything to go by—but ultimately was not able to take as much from it as I anticipated.