Synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner.

When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, pulls them apart again and again. When Sara's old life catches up to her, upending everything she thought she wanted just as Emilie has finally gained her own sense of purpose, they must decide if their love is more powerful than their pasts.

At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story for our time and a propulsive journey through the lives of two women finding their way in the world. 

Review:

I am a great fan of author Nina LaCour, having read several of her novels for young adults.  Her books have a dreamlike quality as they focus mainly on young, gay teens.  The fact that they are gay is secondary to other issues that they might have, such as depression, and wavering self-confidence.  But all of them are about how the characters move from children to adults.  Although her newest book, Yerba Buena, is a novel for (and about) adults, many of the same themes continue.  

I was initially put off by the beginning of the novel due to the harsh reality of one of the characters.  I found it all rather depressing to read.  However, I stuck with it.  This is a book about getting past family baggage.  The characters have learned coping mechanisms that may have helped them as kids, but are doing them no favors as adults.  So what was at first very depressing, comes out hopeful. I became very invested in the characters of Sara and Emilie, and rooted for them to find happiness.  This is a wonderful book.  

Trigger Warning:

Be aware of some really disturbing scenes of sexual exploitation at the beginning of the story. 

What I Liked:

Characters:

Both Sara and Emilie have significant challenges in their lives.  Sara comes from a family where her father is involved in something illegal.  Coming from a small town in Northern California, Sara falls apart when someone important to her dies.  She can't cope, so runs away.  Solo life is filled with promise, but also hard choices.  She is constantly running from her past so she never puts down roots.

Emilie is part of a family where her sister's problems take center stage.  Because of this, she is a people pleaser.  She feels like if she doesn't make constant compromises, the people she loves tend to leave.  She needs to figure out how to get past this, or she will always be disappointed.  No one ever really can make her happy but herself.

Romance:

Sara and Emilie meet and are instantly attracted to each other.  But their timing is always lousy.  Either Sara or Emilie have family problems to face, or they are dating other people.  Their romance happens in starts and stops.  There are a lot of miscommunications that carry over months.  When they see each other again, they need to start fresh.  But they both know that there is a connection there that they need to explore.

Story:

I loved seeing Sara and Emilie grow as people over the course of the story.  Sara's journey is accepting the past and realizing that she can't save other people.  She is so afraid of going back home, that she misses out on being a part of her brother's life.  She also needs to take a step back and understand how much she has been able to accomplish in her life. 

Emilie can't seem to finish what she starts.  A perpetual student, she keeps changing majors.  By not making a commitment, she doesn't have to take responsibility for her choices.  The same issues occur when she starts dating a married man.  Even though it's exciting, her affair is just another way to hold off on making any real connections with people who she might have a future with. 

I liked how both Sara and Emilie had to confront their choices (and non-choices), in order for them to let go of their issues.

What I Was Mixed About:

I found the beginning of the Sara's story very confusing and creepy.  It was unclear to me why Sara's father acted the way he did (which could be completely my fault as a reader).  And I thought it was kind of out of left field when Sara gets abused by one of her father's friends.  Later in the story, everything makes a lot more sense, and perhaps that was deliberate on the author's part.   But it creeped me out that Sara could be so easily be put in a situation where she could be sex trafficked.   I suppose the author was also making a deliberate choice to show how vulnerable young people are.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: May 31, 2022

Author:  Nina LaCour

Publisher:  Flatiron Books

Genre:  Adult Contemporary

Page Length:  304 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Despite its harsh beginning, this is a book of hope and of navigating adulthood.  I loved it and highly recommend it.