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· 8,533 ratings · 1,944 reviews

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Mar 09, 2020 Loan Le rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

*UPDATE / June 2021*

Quickly dropping the news that there will be a companion novel to this one! Solving for the Unknown is more contemporary than rom-com and will star Bao's best friend, Viet, and Linh's older sister. Of course, APLS characters will make an appearance.

OK, that is all. I will close my eyes and not look at any reviews! But I do hope you enjoy APLS and will be excited about SFTU!

*ORIGINAL*

Wow. I published a novel? I'm still trying to comprehend that. Thanks for stopping by this p

*UPDATE / June 2021*

OK, that is all. I will close my eyes and not look at any reviews! But I do hope you enjoy APLS and will be excited about SFTU!

*ORIGINAL*

Wow. I published a novel? I'm still trying to comprehend that. Thanks for stopping by this page and giving me your stars. Whether you gave me five stars or one star, that's up to you. I'm just glad you saw something in A Phở Love Story initially--the cover, the description, my author bio (probably not; I'm boring)--and thought, hmm, okay, I'll check this out. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you. Readers, you matter so much.

Set in present-day California, A Phở Love Story is about first love, family expectations, and food rivalry. This is inspired not only by my obsession with food (phở, always) and by my experience as the daughter of immigrants pursuing a creative career, but also by my family who've always worked hard to provide the younger generation opportunities they didn't have. As a young adult reading young adult novels, I was often puzzled by the absence of families or parents--even though I understood that coming of age was about forming your own identity. But my identity was, and still is, undoubtedly tied to my parents, to my family. I am the child of immigrants--one being a refugee. My mom escaped Vietnam by boat with her sister, her sister's husband, and my two young cousins. That's a part of my identity.

Despite this harrowing history--and while the teen characters do feel some of the war's shadows through their parents--I wrote this novel out of joy. Happiness. If you love funny, life-affirming novels about young adults trying to figure out what they truly want, this is for you. If you want cute (awkward, flirty, uncertain) romance, this is for you. If you like characters who are firecrackers yearning to break out from a mold or characters who feel average but want to be MORE, this is for you. If you love food, this is for you. If you're a child of immigrants or refugees, or have been stuck between two cultures, this is for you. If you love your families but don't always totally understand them and want to, this is for you.

This is for you.

Thanks for being here. Be well!
Loan

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Feb 27, 2021 jessica rated it really liked it

i read this book on an empty stomach - i am not a smart person. THERES. SO. MUCH. FOOD. haha.

and ive never actually had pho before, but now im super interested in trying it! so theres one positive for this book.

some more positives would be everything about the vietnamese culture, the own voices storytelling, baos gentleness, linhs drive, the easy-going writing, and the super cuteness of it all.

my only minor critique would be the slow pacing and long length - its just not a good combination as i

i read this book on an empty stomach - i am not a smart person. THERES. SO. MUCH. FOOD. haha.

and ive never actually had pho before, but now im super interested in trying it! so theres one positive for this book.

some more positives would be everything about the vietnamese culture, the own voices storytelling, baos gentleness, linhs drive, the easy-going writing, and the super cuteness of it all.

my only minor critique would be the slow pacing and long length - its just not a good combination as it felt like it dragged down an otherwise light story.

but other than that, this book will have you smiling and your stomach grumbling.

↠ 3.5 stars

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DNF @ 56%

I am so sad that this one didn't work out for me because I was so excited. But honestly, I was bored, and I didn't care for the writing, and the characters felt kind of flat, so I couldn't push myself through. To start with the positives, this book features some great Vietnamese American representation. It depicts the trauma of the characters as refugees and how that experience shaped their parents. The Vietnamese culture overall permeated every word of this story and that was a pleasure to read about. I think that's where it really shone. There also was so much food and the descriptions of it, my goodness did it make me hungry. However, the narrative was really clunky overall. It's dual perspective which normally I love, but in this case I think it bogged the story down. The two love interests were just too similar. Their voices were impossible to differentiate other than the differing hobbies. I had to keep flipping back to see whose perspective I was reading from, especially once they started to spend more time together. There also wasn't a whole lot going on throughout the story. It's a Romeo and Juliet retelling with these families having rival Vietnamese restaurants and the main driver is why are they enemies? But I didn't really have enough else to keep me going to find out the answers. I think the book was a bit too long for me personally. I'm so sad I didn't end up enjoying this one, but I think a lot of people will. I think it's a story many will see themselves in which is so important.

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As a pho-natic, just looking at the word makes me hungry.
This will be pho-nomenal. Pho sure.
Sorry, I'll stop now.
Pho real.

– 2.5 stars

the bad: starting this book at 3 am when hungry and suffering because of all the food references
the good: eating Pho while reading this book and feeling like I accomplished something, when in fact I didn't accomplished anything by doing that. 🤣

I was hoping to find something pho-nomental, but unfortunately everything was very pho-gettable.

━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
WHAT WORKED
━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━

➸ this is an own voice story so the viet rep is pretty accuate which is like a huge plus pho p

– 2.5 stars

I was hoping to find something pho-nomental, but unfortunately everything was very pho-gettable.

━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
WHAT WORKED
━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━

➸ this is an own voice story so the viet rep is pretty accuate which is like a huge plus pho ppl who aren't familiar with viet culture and are interested to read about it.

➸ cute, light and easy to get through.

➸ the food. all the food pho sure.

━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
WHAT DIDN'T
━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━

➸ the pho-bidden romance between two rival families sounded good on paper pho sure, but felt very flat. The two main characters Linh and Bao just meet everywhere and pretty much everyone besides their parents knew they were seeing each other so that was boring. I need a little more angst than that.

➸ the whole reason why the two families hate each other is kinda stupid, because it's just another misunderstanding/miscommunication and if they only would sit down and talk about it (what should be expected since they were so close before everything fell apart) then all the headache could be avoided.

➸ there are a lot of vietnamese phrases/words without any translation. for me it wasn't a problem since I could understand everything, but I imagine it to be a different language and it would definitely destroy the reading flow to constantly look up the meaning and copying everything in google translator. a translation for everything would be great for ppl who don't speak the language.

just looking at this gif makes me want to eat again.

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May 28, 2021 emma rated it liked it

In an ideal world, I would not be writing this review without fulfilling the pho craving that I have had ever since I picked this book up, but considering I'm coming to you live from 12:40 pm in the suburbs, that is a feat I cannot pull off.

Never forget the sacrifices I make to bring you mediocre book reviews.

Speaking of: This book was fine.

I never know how to write middle of the line book reviews. Everyone has been cursed with the knowledge of how prepared I am to write rants (hello, character-

Never forget the sacrifices I make to bring you mediocre book reviews.

Speaking of: This book was fine.

I never know how to write middle of the line book reviews. Everyone has been cursed with the knowledge of how prepared I am to write rants (hello, character-limit-hitting one star reviews, how are you doing), and I at least get to enjoy the fun of sharing good books when I write four star reviews (or five star ones, when there's a full moon and an eclipse and a meteor shower and humidity is at exactly 54% and so on), but three stars?

Who knows.

This was just okay, for me. The characters were all right. Their arcs were acceptable. The food descriptions were excellent, obviously, but otherwise I have been reading so many YA contemporaries lately with the exact same I Need To Figure Out What I Want To Do With My Life But I Know For Sure It Isn't That Thing My Parents Insist I Do plotline lately, and this one...well, it's not a standout.

Again, excluding those food descriptions.

Bottom line: I am so hungry. This can apply both to my still as yet unfulfilled pho situation, or the number of dissatisfying contemporaries I have read in this, the season of contemporaries. Pick your poison.

------------

well. can't say i didn't warn myself.

review to come / 3 stars

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honestly so brave of me to read this book knowing it will cause a weeks-long debilitating pho craving.

------------

taking lily's idea and reading only books by asian authors this month!

book 1: the incendiaries
book 2: last night at the telegraph club
book 3: dear girls
book 4: sigh, gone
book 5: frankly in love
book 6: emergency contact
book 7: your house will pay
book 8: convenience store woman
book 9: on earth we're briefly gorgeous
book 10: we are not free
book 11: searching for sylvie lee
book 12: the displaced
book 13: schoolgirl
book 14: sweet bean paste
book 15: little fires everywhere
book 16: trust exercise
book 17: front desk
book 18: the bride test
book 19: interior chinatown
book 20: it's not like it's a secret
book 21: almost american girl
book 22: never let me go
book 23: prairie lotus
book 24: earthlings
book 25: a pho love story

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Feb 07, 2021 Jessica rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars

TW for loss of a loved one and racism

4.5 Stars

TW for loss of a loved one and racism

This was such a cute YA romance!! I really loved how Bao and Linh haven't talked to each other for their entire lives because of their family feud until Bao approaches Linh outside of her restaurant their senior year when she's having a rough time. Their budding friendship was so cute and I loved how they both bonded over the pressure from their parents and the unknown of their futures. This was more a friends to lovers and they were forced to hang out through a school assignment, which was fun. Even though Bao and Linh had similar parents who were very strict and had high expectations for their children, they were still very different characters and had pretty different families, which I appreciated.

The reason I knocked my rating down half a star is because I wanted just a little more from the romance. I think we had a long build up and then didn't really get a lot of them genuinely happy together. They were always worrying about their parents and then, of course, things blow up. I did enjoy how their families were forced to confront their issues and also confront what Bao and Linh genuinely wanted from their respective futures. And can we talk about the food? Both families own restaurants and this book had me hungry all the time! There was so much food and the atmosphere of this book was just amazing. I was lost in this world and could not get enough of this story!

Overall, I really loved this book. The characters were all so memorable and the romance was adorable. This also tackles racism and the life of an immigrant, and Bao and Linh struggle being the children of immigrants with such high expectations and responsibilities placed on their shoulders. I couldn't recommend this enough!

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May 09, 2021 Charmel rated it liked it

A Pho Love Story follows Bao Nguyen, a boy who's still hesitant about who he wants to be in life, and Linh Mai, a girl who wants to follow her dreams as a painter and an artist. They've been avoiding each other for years but they meet again, become friends, and start developing feelings for each other. Unfortunately, the sole reason why they kept evading each other's presence is that the Mais and the Nguyens have been in rivalry and competition for their neighboring pho restaurants in the pa A Pho Love Story follows Bao Nguyen, a boy who's still hesitant about who he wants to be in life, and Linh Mai, a girl who wants to follow her dreams as a painter and an artist. They've been avoiding each other for years but they meet again, become friends, and start developing feelings for each other. Unfortunately, the sole reason why they kept evading each other's presence is that the Mais and the Nguyens have been in rivalry and competition for their neighboring pho restaurants in the past years.

The family drama between the Mais and the Nguyens was interesting but I didn't give enough care about it, it felt unoriginal. Still, this book didn't only revolve around rivalry and romance, it also talked about racism, the immigrant experience, trauma and grief, family pressure and expectations, and finding your passion. I liked how the author touched those topics in a great way. Also, the first half of this book was boring and dragged. It felt longer than it should be.

Thankfully, this never failed to make mee hungry. The delicious descriptions of the foods made me drool. I think I haven't eaten a Vietnamese cuisine yet. so next time, this is definitely one of the things I need to try.

The writing was mediocre, it wasn't that bad. There were a lot of Vietnamese dialogues. I couldn't understand them at all but luckily, there was the audiobook to help. Both narrators had cool voices.

"Or maybe, one day, what you can help her understand, is that for people like us, sadness is part of our inspiration. Others might bottle up their sadness and pour it out on certain occasions, but we let it pour from us and into our medium. It's the same for most emotions, and we do it so that we can make room for more."

The characters were all average. Linh aspires to be an artist, yet her parents have their different plans for her. Here, we can see her navigating through her dreams. She may sometimes be over dramatic but she had some character growth. I adored how she would voice out her ideas and feelings through art.

"It saddens me that you don't recognize this. It's an unfortunate reminder that as much as my community represents the true American Dream- building a foundation out of uncertain hopes and dreams- people like you would rather be ignorant or spread hate than accept this reality.
But your racism has no power here. Your words mean nothing in Little Saigon. So whatever you hoped to accomplish- in person and online- you have failed."

Bao isn't sure on what he really wants to pursue in life. Then, journalism came at him like they're meant to be. He writes to portray his emotions and thoughts, and he plays with words to make them meaningful and powerful.

I was hoping for a more slow-burn, forbidden-y romance between Linh and Bao but they quickly became friends. Although thhe tension that I was hoping for wasn't there, they were still a cute couple.

Overall, this was fun. I enjoyed learning a few things about the Vietnamese culture and I was delighted with the mouth-watering food descriptions. There were still elements lacking here but it wasn't a full disappointment. I liked the family dynamics and the lessons it gave on finding and following our passions.

3.25 stars!

—

this was really cute, fun, and entertaining!!

review to come.. (rating might change)

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Jun 06, 2021 Christy rated it really liked it

4 stars

A Pho Love Story was such a cute book. I enjoyed listening Bao and Lihn's story so much. They are two Vietnamese teenagers who come from feuding families. Their parents own competing restaurants right across from each other and they've always seemed to keep their distance. Until their senior year. Lihn and Bao end up working together on a school thing and start spending more time together. This is very much a romeo/juliet type romance and a coming of age story. I loved the family dynamic

4 stars

Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Ryan Do and Vyvy Nguyen
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary YA
Length: 9h and 53m

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3.5/5 ⭐

I appreciate this book.
And I say that because first of all, it was a really quick and very cute read with an adorable love story and with lots of yummy-sounding dishes!
For real, food should always be top priority when it comes to cute love stories.

Second of all, I did appreciate the little insights we get in here about the Vietnamese culture.
Like the uncultured swine I am, I have to admit that I haven't crossed paths with many Vietnamese things in my life so this was definitely a very ed

3.5/5 ⭐

Yes, it might have been a bit predictable at parts, the storyline being simple, but overall it was a very cute read that I recommend if you need some light and fluffy reading!

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WOW ok i have complicated (??) thoughts about this one

pros:
- seeing the viet-glish that my family speaks written in an actual novel!! + the food my family eats, the poems my parents taught me, it's cool to see it in someone else's story TT
- the references to places/events that i grew up with in orange county!
- the discussions on how linh and bao's parents can be so charming, intelligent, funny etc. in their native language and still be seen as less than in the U.S. due to speaking english with a viet accent (the scene in which bao's dad gets nervous ordering food at a restaurant actually made me tear up despite being so brief, i've seen how my dad gets flustered ordering food in english after decades of being mocked for his accent)
- the unraveling drama/history between the two families (so interesting!)

cons:
- i liked linh and bao separately as characters, but didn't care about their relationship at all? idk, i never felt butterflies or heart fluttering from their interactions; that's a me thing though
- i am also very uninterested in the "my oppressive asian parents don't want me to follow my dreams" trope,,, but again, a me thing

overall:
- cute, fun, DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE HUNGRY!!!!

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Sep 20, 2018 Tova marked it as 2021-releases

This looks ridiculously cute, and I am super excited.

[4/5]

First of all, the descriptions about the Vietnamese food here would only leave you drooling. My best advice? You better order yourself some before you start this and you're going to get yourself a full experience. Get yourself a Phở or maybe Gỏi Cuốn. Get everything before you regret it! In fact, I think half of the stars in the rating is for food only.

And as an Asian myself, this hit quite close to home. By any means, I am no immigrants so I would never understand the struggle when you'

[4/5]

And as an Asian myself, this hit quite close to home. By any means, I am no immigrants so I would never understand the struggle when you're in another country, to earn a living while getting discriminated against just because you're seen as inferior. However, the issue of racism is still something that we have to deal with in here, today, everywhere which is heartbreaking. And this book really helps you to learn and explore more of the Vietnamese culture.

Not to say, that Asian parents' representation has never been so accurate and relatable lmao.

"I twist my head to the right and check the actual time: eight o'clock, instead of an hour later like she just said"

Like, is that you mother? ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ And me waking up for school thinking I'm gonna be late only to see that I am nowhere near late. Yup.

Going into the characters, I really love Linh and Bảo. They both are the same yet so different. Having to meet their parents' expectations and still trying to figure out things they wanna do beyond school. This book focuses heavily on family values and I truly enjoy the dynamic.

I find Bảo's interest in pompous words to be entertaining. He really be throwing random unheard words at times he finds fits (￣▽￣)ノ

"Infestation." The word is usually negative, referring to bugs or something else that causes illnesses, but it accurately describes how thoughts of Linh swarm my mind lately

Okay Bảo, we got it. You're smitten.

Not to say all the side characters are amazing. I love all their friends, Chef Lê and Saffron? Linh's art teacher, Yamamoto? Although the rivalry between the two families may strain the relationship between the main characters but the rest of the characters have been very sweet, supportive and understanding, you will just love them all ( ˘ ³˘) ♡ However, since the main "supporting characters" have been Linh and Bảo's parents/family so the other characters weren't that prominent but I still think the author did a great job in trying to emphasizing their significance in the book.

Except for one thing that I was curious about was Linh and Bảo's school project which required both of them to work together; each has to write and draw for the newspaper. I don't know how the American school works but I was thinking why they don't take pictures of the subject for their articles? I just don't see people really draw for newspapers these days.

And honestly, the prolonged conflict could've easily been resolved through communications as all the years of duel happened only due to misunderstanding. So, it was such a balk. Other than that, I think this book is great. I still enjoy them and Loan Le really did a great job, perfectly mixing food, family and romance for A Pho Love Story. The author balances both happy and sad moments very well, you'll find some cute romance and some serious and emotional scenes later. It leaves you to mess up (I was thinking about Vietnamese food and suddenly Loan Le thought it's the best time to suddenly make me tear up?) For what???

Overall, for a debut book. I think this is definitely a success. I hope more people will discover this & feel the same way as I do.

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This book definitely succeeded at something: making me hungry.

Besides that, I was saddened to find the characters flat and hard to differentiate aside from their hobbies. The perspectives were so similar sounding that for a few chapters I thought both protagonists were women, until a specific pronoun clued me in that I'd been completely wrong about Bao. I found it a little funny that I could be so mistaken, but it has to be a fault of the narrative that led me to believe it for quite some time.

This book definitely succeeded at something: making me hungry.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

A Pho Love Story is kind of like Romeo & Juliet between rival family-owned restaurants. Linh wants nothing more than to pursue art, but her parents would never approve of her doing so. Bao is unsure of his future career path, so with senior year coming to an end, he's hoping to figure it out quickly. They both work for their parents' Pho restaurant, and when they meet, they feel an instant connection despite their parents warning them to never speak with each other. Linh and Bao meet up in secret, and grapple with the possibility of disaster if their parents ever find out about their relationship.

~★~

It's a shame that I didn't enjoy this book, because the prose sounded really lovely. As I mentioned before, the protagonists didn't have much depth outside of their interests, which I felt took away from the book largely. I didn't mind Linh and Bao in the beginning, but once the romance sparked I lost even more interest due to the odd pacing and execution of their relationship.

"But in anything you love, isn't there always some bit of sadness, some essence of suffering? That, to me, is what makes art worth it. Suffer through it—mine the emotions you keep inside yourself, face whatever's emotionally burdensome, take control of it—then emerge reborn in the end."

Loan Le's writing was probably the best thing about this book. I was able to get through it in two days or so despite not liking it, which is testament to the accessible narrative. It wasn't the most unique writing style, but I can't fault it much since it propelled the story even when the plot and characters didn't. Another small aspect I liked was the familial conversations near the ending. I was glad to see Linh and Bao's parents learn from their past mistakes and work towards betterment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Schuster for the arc!

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Feb 01, 2021 Shealea marked it as will-not-finish

Will not finish - 37%

A Pho Love Story was listed as part of my most highly anticipated 2021 releases. And so, it hurts my heart a little to admit that I don't have the energy to finish this book.

This isn't a badly written book. It's just not a story for me. I know that A Pho Love Story will resonate deeply with a lot of readers from the Asian diaspora, especially among immigrants. In fact, I highly recommend reading the reviews of Michelle and Lauren.

However, as someone who's been born and r

Will not finish - 37%

A Pho Love Story was listed as part of my most highly anticipated 2021 releases. And so, it hurts my heart a little to admit that I don't have the energy to finish this book.

However, as someone who's been born and raised in Asia, I guess I've reached a point where I crave representation that goes beyond the struggles of being Asian and American. Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of this lens. And that's not a reflection of the author's writing. It's a reflection of where I am mentally and emotionally as a reader seeking characters who look like me and live like me.

Moreover, while I cannot comment on the book as a whole, I will say that I think there's a missed opportunity here. I was really looking forward to the intensity and tension derived from rivals turned lovers. However, the relationship between Linh and Bao is more of a forbidden romance, and I was a bit disappointed that the rivalry is solely between their parents. In fact, Linh and Bao identify their common ground right away and easily bond. This is also partially why my interest immediately declined. I would've loved to see them being ruthlessly competitive, slowly unlearning their biases, and working towards bridging the chasm between their families. But alas, this is not that story.

On a more positive note, A Pho Love Story delves into the trauma experienced by refugees of the Vietnam War, which is a discussion that is very sorely-needed. Undoubtedly, this debut novel brings something meaningful to the YA contemporary genre.

Disclosure: I received a digital ARC of A Pho Love Story from its publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

🌻🍃 More bookish content on Shut up, Shealea 🍃🌻
instagram • pinterest • twitter • ko-fi

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♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Y'all.
This. Book.

Not only is it an amazing young-adult chicklit novel, BUT it also covers the journey of finding yourself amongst familial and cultural expectations.

Our couple was so precious and pure. Their Romeo and Juliet story blessedly was not riddled with stupid drama or choices, but instead dove deeper into self-discovery and learning how our familial history shapes us.

Absolutely loved.

I listened to the audiobook and HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

read on my blog

rep: ownvoices Vietnamese-American protagonists and side characters

**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley (thank you, Simon Teen!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been screaming about this book for literal years. I've been so hyped for it for so long, and when I finally got the chance to read an ARC, I dropped everything for it! A Pho Love Story was the Vietnamese

read on my blog

rep: ownvoices Vietnamese-American protagonists and side characters

**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley (thank you, Simon Teen!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Linh is an aspiring artist who knows her parents would be disappointed by her choice of career. Meanwhile, Bao doesn't yet know what he wants to do despite college being on the horizon. Their families own rival pho restaurants; however, there seems to be a darker history underlying their rivalry. Thus, Linh and Bao haven't really interacted despite having met and going to the same school, but one day, they're partnered up to write pieces for their newspaper on restaurants that would be good date spots.

Overall, the story was very cute. I wouldn't necessarily say it's a romantic comedy, though, because it deals with some fairly heavy trauma (which I'll touch on later).

I liked the characters; Linh and Bao are such well-written protagonists, and you really understand their dreams and desires. The side characters were great too. Linh's best friend, Allison, is ambitious and meddling and essentially the reason why they start to like each other. Bao's best friend, Viet, is also dependable and supportive and loves crime shows. We also see a lot of Linh's and Bao's parents, which is fairly abnormal for YA novels.

The romance was cute! I do want to clarify that this book isn't a hate-to-love story; instead, Linh and Bao click from the very beginning. Rather, their relationship lies more on the forbidden side because their families hate each other so much.

My favorite aspect of this book, however, is the Vietnamese-American representation. I loved seeing Vietnamese culture sprinkled throughout the book, even just the little things like the food and mentions of Paris by Night blaring in the background at all times (if you know, you know).

Also, it was nice seeing the Vietnamese phrases throughout the book! Honestly, I laughed a bit when I read "trời ơi" written.

I will be honest and say that this book was fairly similar to other typical Asian-American stories with protagonists who want to pursue an arts career despite their parents' disapproval, so that aspect of the story wasn't necessarily new…and honestly, I'm a little over it simply because I never had to go through that but that's just me.

However, I really liked how this book made this situation more specific to a Vietnamese-American experience in that many people of Vietnamese descent and of my generation (speaking broadly) have parents who are refugees from the Vietnam War. There's a lot of trauma there, obviously, and has led them to want stable lives for their children, especially financially. Obviously, this is applicable for many other Asian Americans, but it was just so fascinating for me to read it from a singularly Vietnamese-American lens, which again, I haven't really seen in a YA contemporary.

Also, this trauma from the war is very up-front and is the reason why I said this book isn't a romantic comedy. Linh's and Bao's parents' stories of their life in Vietnam are an integral part of the book. I won't say it's super heavy; it's just that this book wasn't as light as I was expecting, not that that's a bad thing; I just want to clarify this for other people.

So again, a lot of people of Vietnamese descent in my generation have parents who are refugees, who fled from their homeland and have had to build up their life in other countries. This was something that is so specific to Vietnamese diaspora (again, speaking broadly and not only for Vietnam) that I didn't even know it was something I wanted to see in a book until I read it. I just related to this so much more than when I've been reading East-Asian-American stories over the past ten years, so I really appreciated being able to read this book.

A Pho Love Story had some adorable moments but also explored heavier issues, such as familial trauma. It intertwined so many great aspects of Vietnamese culture throughout the story, and I also really enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. I definitely recommend A Pho Love Story if you like Gloria Chao's books!

original review:

yes hi the Vietnamese-American representation in this book made me cry

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Jul 03, 2020 Delaney rated it liked it

Vietnamese-American author!!!! YES!!!

But—Those last 100 pages were A STRUGGLE.

That's my two opinions of A Pho Love Story: love the Vietnamese representation, didn't love the execution all together so much.

Let's start with the positives, so anyone reading this review will still want to pick it up! As a Vietnamese-American myself, I especially loved the little Vietnamese things in here: Garden Grove/Little Saigon setting, savage Vietnamese moms, the food, mannerisms/way of speaking, language, e

Vietnamese-American author!!!! YES!!!

But—Those last 100 pages were A STRUGGLE.

That's my two opinions of A Pho Love Story: love the Vietnamese representation, didn't love the execution all together so much.

Now let's move on to the bits that I didn't enjoy as much and made me feel lukewarm about the entire book.

The book is written in dual first-person present-tense—Linh and Bao—whose families are rival restaurants from across the street. So, you see, they actually have a lot in common. In fact, they really don't care about this whole rivalry and have always been curious about each other.

Therefore, both Linh and Bao sounded way too similar for me. It felt like I was reading the same person, x2, and different genders. They were boring, Bao especially. (Why does literature have such boring Asian male characters?) There would be specific sentences written in Linh's POV that were repeated in Bao's POV. It would've been more interesting to have different Vietnamese experiences…and to better differentiate between the two characters. Considering this may be someone's first encounter with Vietnamese culture, it's a loss to make it seem like ALL our families are the same. Sure we have similar quirks, but people have various personalities.

The whole LOVE STORY, as seen in the title, was...ALL RIGHT? This read way too cheesy. Okay, I admit, if I saw a Vietnamese boy I would usually associate him as a cousin rather than as "boyfriend material." BUT they liked each other way too fast. There wasn't chemistry. All the side characters seem to see more of their chemistry and love for each other than I did.

Because they are both so indifferent to the rivalry between their families (specifically their moms) it didn't feel fully fleshed out. It plays a huge part in the last 100 pages of it (when all the DRAMA gets dumped onto you for shits and giggles). I didn't feel the tension between the two family because there was a stronger highlight on the romance, stronger even then the individual characters' storylines. The romance just overtook the entire book; and it wasn't even cute!

All in all, however, Loan Le has produced a solid debut novel. One with a lot of heart and I'm sure it meant a lot to her. It's a win in my heart for Vietnamese-Americans to be represented anywhere. But I just wanted a little more from it all.

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➵ conflicted between what reason i should state for how quickly i flew through this. no, it wasn't absolutely perfect or wholly entertaining. yes, i wanted to be done with it. part of my disappointment comes from the romance and how it was pitched: the potential rivalry between the lovers or even the forbidden aspect of feelings brewing between the children of two foe families doesn't last long enough to keep me very interested. rest of the disappointment comes from the pacing; this story is too ➵ conflicted between what reason i should state for how quickly i flew through this. no, it wasn't absolutely perfect or wholly entertaining. yes, i wanted to be done with it. part of my disappointment comes from the romance and how it was pitched: the potential rivalry between the lovers or even the forbidden aspect of feelings brewing between the children of two foe families doesn't last long enough to keep me very interested. rest of the disappointment comes from the pacing; this story is too, too long.

regardless, the food descriptions made me so hungry and that's an ingredient i always fall for. also,

the culture weaved in the sequences, the excellent writing, and the focus it brought to the inter-generational effects of the vietnam war are facets to be appreciated. it was a pretty cute read and certainly important, to be honest.

↣ listened to the audiobook on scribd ↢

01.07.2020 you can't expect me to not be excited when a vietnamese-american love story is said to be perfect for fans of when dimple met rishi because hello! and then there's this cutest cover. ...more

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Publishers for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First let's talk about the plot! The original premise sounded very promising, and the plot was executed pretty well. The readers were able to get lovely descriptions of Phở and other delicious Vietnamese foods, which made me, admittedly, very hungry. Unfortunately, I felt as though we didn't get much time in the restaurants. It would have been so cool to see all the

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Publishers for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The characters were a delight! Bao was snarky and always made me laugh. He was honestly just a really kind and caring character towards everyone really. I loved how the idea of not knowing what he wanted to do in the future was executed in the novel. Uncertainty about the future is a very real that people go through, so it was definitely cool to see! Linh on the other hand knew she wanted to be an artist. It's wonderful to see young people pursuing the arts, and I loved how Loan Le incorporated Linh's family into her art. Linh's inspiration for creating art was very beautiful and I found myself liking her character. However, she wasn't as memorable as I thought she'd be. Moreover, Linh and Bao had a very healthy relationship. They were so cute together, and made a fantastic team! There was some miscommunication, but it was worked out throughout the novel!

The side characters were unique as well. I loved how the cast was almost all Vietnamese. It was very refreshing to see! Linh's friend Ally, and Bao's friend Viet, where great supporting characters. They were both helpful, and funny. I only wish the author went more in depth into the lives of the side characters. I also absolutely adored the family dynamic. The tension between the two families felt raw and realistic. Another character I enjoyed reading about is Chef Le and his family's hilarious cameos. It was nice to see a very wholesome relationship between the Mai sisters. Evie and Linh have a lovely sibling dynamic that I wish was explored more in the book. A Pho Love Story is gorgeously done in terms of creating a sense of community within families, and I fell in love with that. Having a loving family is something very special, so I am very happy it was explored vividly throughout the novel.

The dialogue between Linh, Bao, and their friends felt pretty average, nothing ground-breaking was said. It was the dialogue between the main characters and their parents that really intrigued me. I haven't read many YA novels where the parents and children had intricate relationships. Furthermore, it was very interesting to see Vietnamese spoken throughout the book. I love learning about different languages and cultures, so this only added to the enjoyment of the novel!

I unfortunately struggled with the writing style. The point of view switches from Bao to Linh, and vice versa every 10-15 pages or so. I found myself struggling with trying to understand if the we were in Bao's head, or in Linh's. At other times, the story felt repetitive and boring. In my opinion, A Pho Love Story didn't need to be over 400 pages long. If it was slightly shorter, I'm sure I would have loved it even more.

As mentioned previously, the book seemed to drag on at times. That did affect the overall enjoyment level by a lot. Nevertheless, it was still an incredibly refreshing read that I totally recommend!

Age Rating: 13 and up

TW: Stories of war and death

Final Rating: 7.5/10 or 3.75 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can read more reviews and other fun stuff on my blog! https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

Romance novels about food are my favorite kind of romance

Aug 07, 2021 Emily rated it it was amazing

Buddy read with my awesome friend Surya! :)

I loved every second of this. It was sweet, it was sad, and I will love it pho-ever! *cackles in delight at my own dumb joke*

I loved the concept of this book: a Vietnamese - and food-related!! - retelling of Romeo and Juliet, written from the perspectives of both Romeo (Bao) and Juliet (Linh).

I'll start by talking about the characters. Linh is a lovable, artistic, and kind daughter who just wants to become an artist, but her parents won't let her, belie

Buddy read with my awesome friend Surya! :)

I loved every second of this. It was sweet, it was sad, and I will love it pho-ever! *cackles in delight at my own dumb joke*

I loved the concept of this book: a Vietnamese - and food-related!! - retelling of Romeo and Juliet, written from the perspectives of both Romeo (Bao) and Juliet (Linh).

I'll start by talking about the characters. Linh is a lovable, artistic, and kind daughter who just wants to become an artist, but her parents won't let her, believing that she won't be able to support herself. Bao is an average student, son, and person in general. He doesn't have a passion or major importance, and he just feels himself floating through life. Then he gets to know Linh, the girl who he has watched from his window curiously for years.

The plot was fast-paced for a contemporary and I couldn't put it down! The plot twists and revealed secrets were shocking and unexpected, and I really enjoyed them.

Thanks to Surya for buddy reading and listening to my excited comments on the book (and providing her own!). I highly recommend this if you're looking for a contemporary that will make you laugh, cry, and feel wonderful the whole time.

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Jan 28, 2021 Alexa rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book! I found both Linh and Bao relatable (and for different reasons), and I appreciated getting the chance to see their story unfold (including the drama between their families and how that played out). It also made me crave all sorts of food, but particularly Vietnamese food. Definitely a debut worth checking out!

Feb 26, 2021 Prerana rated it it was amazing

This is the type of book I want to read everyday. I am usually not a big fan of romance novels that do not star adults because they are often not written well or they are too angsty or they try to market first love/young love as the end-all, be-all. However, I found myself really into just a few of these books in the recent years, and the thing I noticed was that all of them did not star white characters.

What a concept. Once you let go of the whiteness, the books are not a coming-of-age story wh

What a concept. Once you let go of the whiteness, the books are not a coming-of-age story where teenagers can go on adventures everyday and fall in love and give up on everything else and have every part of their lives romanticized.

Maybe some people really enjoy those books (I know plenty who love them), but I, as an Asian American, very firmly do not. I do not have anything against them morally, and if you enjoy them and/or can relate to them, go off. I just cannot? They do absolutely nothing for me? I literally could not care less about white coming-of-age stories.

A book like this, however? I thoroughly enjoyed it. One, I could relate to it. Two, it just made logical sense because they did not decide that this love was the person they were going to marry and everything was going to fix itself and that they were going to go to the same college together and then move to the same city and then spend the rest of their lives together. A concept. Three, it was sweet and cute, but with just the right amount of life emotions.

By life emotions, I mean, the heavy stuff. The thinking you do when something fundamentally shifts in your life. When your perspective changes. When you view the world differently. This book had the correct amount of life emotions.

I really loved this book. I want to read more diverse stories that are relatable to a wider range of audiences. This book checked off all the boxes for me. And my absolutely favorite part of the novel was the Vietnamese.

She just kept the Vietnamese in there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hate it when authors put in a different language and then feel an obligation to translate every word and make it intensely palatable to white people. Please don't feel the need to do that. Look at it this way: I do not speak Vietnamese (a tragedy, I know, I really should get on my language grind); however, I still appreciated every line, and it did not hinder my experience at all to not understand the language. I recently read a novel starring Indian characters (being Indian, I do happen to understand Hindi and other Indian languages), but after even a single word that was not in the white vernacular (for example, a name of a food dish?????), the author chose to translate or explain everything. What a bore! How utterly useless! Why would you waste my time like that? If you are white, and you do not understand something you read, look it up!!! My god. And something as simple as a food dish? You literally can look that up.

Anyway, returning to this amazing book. I absolutely loved it. I found it relatable, I connected to it, and I left it feeling satisfied. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

And I'm out.

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May 19, 2021 Julie rated it it was amazing

I loved this book and how unapologetically the author uses full phrases in Vietnamese. This is the first time I've ever felt a story was written for me, and not for other people where I was just a spectator.

I just listened to the podcast Asian Enough where they interviewed Viet Thanh Nguyen, and he said something like: "If you're writing for your people, you wouldn't say: He ate pho . . . which is a beef noodle soup." I laughed, but it's true! And this book was 100% written with Vietnamese-Americans in mind (and not primarily the white gaze, where you have to explain and translate and justify everything). So refreshing!

Adorable Romeo and Juliet love story, too.

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Aug 20, 2021 Howard rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars for A Pho Love Story (audiobook) by Loan Le read by Ryan Do and VyVy Nguyen.
This was a fun spin on the Romeo and Juliet trope. The author set her story the world of Vietnamese restaurants. The young couple overcame huge obstacles to find their love for each other and bring their families together. And along the way the story made me really hungry for all the great food that was described in it.

Jul 05, 2021 anika rated it really liked it

this book was really sweet! i loved the characters & the romance, and i would definitely recommend it!

Feb 04, 2021 erin rated it did not like it

a pho love story tried really hard, but it didn't pay off. the characters were flat and dull, the romance was horrible and at some point, it physically hurt me to continue reading.

putting this one down and never picking it up again at about 40%.

a pho love story tried really hard, but it didn't pay off. the characters were flat and dull, the romance was horrible and at some point, it physically hurt me to continue reading.

putting this one down and never picking it up again at about 40%.

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Dec 16, 2020 Trinity Tran rated it it was amazing

I'm a pho-natic, so naturally, this book gets a 5 stars from me (no seriously, I can eat pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). But on another note, this book was ridiculously adorable! This book not only has Vietnamese protagonists but also takes place in Little Saigon, California–aka my home. Being able to read about Bolsa, La Quinta, and just places that I grew up around was so heartwarming. The descriptions of various settings were so home-y to me that I could vividly picture where the chara I'm a pho-natic, so naturally, this book gets a 5 stars from me (no seriously, I can eat pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). But on another note, this book was ridiculously adorable! This book not only has Vietnamese protagonists but also takes place in Little Saigon, California–aka my home. Being able to read about Bolsa, La Quinta, and just places that I grew up around was so heartwarming. The descriptions of various settings were so home-y to me that I could vividly picture where the characters were!

Like the pitch, this book certainly came to *serve* with its delicious descriptions of food. By reading about banh xeo, bun bo hue, pho, and other Vietnamese food, it was as if I was transported from my college apartment in Pennsylvania to home in Little Saigon and my mom's kitchen. Le truly poured so much love into the detailing of the food, you can really taste the textures and smell the aroma of the dishes. But another aspect of the book that I love so much is how it weaves the theme of food with love and community. Food, in this book, represents familial love, strength, and perseverance.

Although food is one of the central themes, the book explores each of the characters' individuality as they explore their own paths in life. This is a "coming-of-age" story about children of immigrants seeking to understand their own family's stories as well as their own, and how they try to carve their own path apart from their parents' expectations. But again, this is a cute rom-com! The stakes are pretty low throughout the book and can be categorized as "realistic fiction." And underneath these themes, you get to read about fluffy scenes between Linh and Bao!! And also hilarious scenes of the characters' family; it really felt like I was at home with my entire family while reading the book.

And what's a story about Little Saigon without immigrants representations? Le carefully crafted a story about family history, grief, but also immigrants and their community. It's uplifting but also powerful, highlighting the importance of immigrants and their perseverance against adversity.

Much like a bowl of pho, this book gave me comfort and warmth, reminding me of home.

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Jan 21, 2021 nora⁷ rated it really liked it

3.8/5 ☆

This book was one my most anticipated reads of the year. I had looked forward to reading this one ever since I heard about it. After all, it was a rom-com following two teenagers of vietnamese immigrants. This felt definitely aimed at me and my own family. And at most points, this book excelled! I was really engaged in the story, and found myself relating to some of the characters wayyyyy too much.

Unfortunately, the plot became a bit bland after the second half. I didn't really know what

3.8/5 ☆

Unfortunately, the plot became a bit bland after the second half. I didn't really know what more to expect than the love story between Linh and Bao. And they got together pretty early in the story. So after that, I was almost a bit bored. After all, it took me more than a month to get through this book.

Either way, I did enjoy this book. But I just think that the timing of reading this book was a bit bad for me, as I was highly occupied with falling into the never-ending rabbit-hole called kpop ahah.

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AHHHH THE VIETNAMESE REP I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE

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Loan Le is the author of the YA rom-com, A Pho Love Story, and the forthcoming YA contemporary novel, Solving for the Unknown (out Summer 2023).

Loan is the youngest child of two Vietnamese immigrants hailing from Nha Trang. She holds an MFA degree in fiction from Fairfield University, also her undergraduate alma mater. A Pushcart Prize–nominated writer, her short stories have appeared in CRAFT Literary, Mud Season Review, and Angel City Review. Loan is an editor at Simon and Schuster's Atria Books imprint and lives in Manhattan. Visit her website at writerloanle.com and find her on Twitter @loanloan.

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"But in anything you love, isn't there always some bit of sadness, some essence of suffering? That, to me, is what makes art worth it. Suffer through it—mine the emotions you keep inside yourself, face whatever's emotionally burdensome, take control of it—then emerge reborn in the end." — 8 likes

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