Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee
Theo is itching to get out of Vermont for college. He can finally stop working at his parents’ Asian American cafe and he can finally get away from Gabi, whose parents run a rival bakery.
Meanwhile, Gabi is forced to be someone he isn’t. He’s not only stuck in the closet but he’s forced to play soccer to make it look like he’s straight. He can’t let people know he loves to dance, and Gabi has been perennially frustrated that he can’t hang with–or be as openly out as–Theo. That said, Gabi is looking forward to taking over his parents’ bakery down the road, so he finds some solace in working there.
Trouble comes when a new fusion cafe is coming to town, and now both Theo and Gabi’s parents are finding themselves with struggling businesses. Theo concocts a plan to help his parents, but when he injures himself before it can take off, he’ll need Gabi’s help.
The longer the two spend time together, the more it is they may no longer be able to resist the feelings bubbling up between them.