The protagonists in this book Lou and King are everything! I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. It has a great summer feel to it. I mean when you read about ice cream throughout the entire book, you can’t help but think about summer.

On the flip side we see the dark underbelly of racism and the ongoing mistreatment of indigenous peoples.

Louisa, a Métis girl living on the Canadian Prairies is working at her family ice cream shop for the summer. It’s complicated enough that she will be working with her ex-boyfriend, but the return of her best friend King after 3 years away with no contact makes things even more challenging. To make matters worse. Louisa’s biological father who she thought was behind bars for the rest of his life is released from prison and wants to meet her; threatening her family’s livelihood if she refuses to legally claim him as her father.

The highlight of this book is a friendship that blossoms into a beautiful romance. But, it also explores chosen family and biological family relationships and the coming together of a community to help each other.

I binge read this book. The characters had me laughing, crying, and rooting for Lou and King till the very end. More importantly, you get a glimpse into the constant struggle of indigenous peoples and their fight against racism. In spite of it all, they are still here.