The food business has gone down, and Gabi's parents are planning to sell theirs, while Theo's Uncle Greg wants the Mori's to close their cafe so that he can convert the building into a spa. Gabi also reveals to his dance trainer, Lady, his love for dancing, something that his parents have been totally against since he was seven because they felt that dancing was only for girls.Īside from Theo's and Gabi's dislike for each other, Theo's and Gabi's parents are business rivals who are always competing for customers in their cafés. Gabi has revealed only to his best friend Melissa (his best friend who is also the president of the homecoming committee) that he is gay. Unlike Theo, Gabi is shy, always self-doubting, restrained in everything he does, and he is afraid of coming out of the closet due to fear of his parents and other students. Gabi is Theo's arch-enemy, who is always crossing his path in the field and even in school halls. In the alternating chapters, we also get to know Gabriel Moreno (Gabi), a sixteen-year-old Latinx teen with Puerto Rican parents. He also feels that his parents hate him and that they only love his brother Thomas. However, Theo struggles in his studies since he was diagnosed with ADHD and does not have high hopes in higher education. He is also comfortable with his sexuality to the extent that he is known as the most openly gay person in school. (His father is Japanese, and his mother is Chinese.) Theo is a cool, athletic, confident teen, and he is the captain of the school soccer team. It is mid-September in Vermont, where we are first introduced to Theo Mori, a teen of mixed-race origins. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents’ shops or will the new feelings between them boil over?Ĭafé Con Lychee is a dual narrative of two high school teens, masterfully crafted by Emery Lee. So, when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth-they can achieve their goals only by working together to cook up an underground bakery operation and win back their customers. Stuck under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Theo’s best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents’ livelihood is secure. Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his parents’ shop as his future. 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.

Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. A must-read for fans of Casey McQuiston and Julian Winters. From the author of Meet Cute Diary comes a delectable rom-com that’s brimming with zest and a sprinkle of sweetness.

Café con lychee by emery lee