burghblakebooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I think this was a cute book and think romance lovers will enjoy. It just wasn't for me!
ilyyanii's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
spellygirl's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It took me a little while to get properly into it, but I ended up really liking it. Loved how there wasn't just the typical love story, but also a mystery.
alishbaaa's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5 stars
this book was such a cute romance!! i also liked the side plot and the mystery that unraveled thru the book. i also related to thus book sm being as how strict all asian parents are and how hard it is to please them and the struggles that come w immigrants. all in all, it was a greatt book
this book was such a cute romance!! i also liked the side plot and the mystery that unraveled thru the book. i also related to thus book sm being as how strict all asian parents are and how hard it is to please them and the struggles that come w immigrants. all in all, it was a greatt book
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Title: A Pho Love Story
Author: Loan Le
Genre: YA Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: December 28, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Juvenile • Dramatic • Hearty
📖 S Y N O P S I S
For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.
But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember. Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I stumbled across A Pho Love Story at a local garage sale over the summer, so I picked it up. When I needed a quick simple read, I decided this was a good choice. I knew little about the premise aside from it centering around food. And I definitely wasn't aware it is a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling.
It will come as not surprise that the food was my favourite part! Loan Le does a fantastic job with the food descriptions, leaving me hungry and salivating. The food aspect also adds a layer of cultural background and the meaning of food. Unfortunately though the feuding family trope feels like it something I have read too often.
There is excellent character growth for both Bao and Linh from start to finish. And their romance felt believable - growing slowly over time. In my opinion, it was a breath of fresh air to read a healthy and supportive depiction of teenage love, as opposed to a toxic one. I also appreciated the exploration of parental expectations versus following your own dreams; the immigrant experience; and how family histories shape our present.
I am definitely not the intended audience for this one, and to me that was evident. It was nothing exceptional, and I likely won't remember a few months from now. However, I could definitely see the merits for a younger audience and would recommend it to the 13-18 year old age group.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the feuding families trope
• foodies
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Think about what you want. What you want to make and add to the world."
"There's so much in your life that you can't control...So maybe you can use this chance to do something for yourself"
Author: Loan Le
Genre: YA Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: December 28, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Juvenile • Dramatic • Hearty
📖 S Y N O P S I S
For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.
But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember. Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I stumbled across A Pho Love Story at a local garage sale over the summer, so I picked it up. When I needed a quick simple read, I decided this was a good choice. I knew little about the premise aside from it centering around food. And I definitely wasn't aware it is a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling.
It will come as not surprise that the food was my favourite part! Loan Le does a fantastic job with the food descriptions, leaving me hungry and salivating. The food aspect also adds a layer of cultural background and the meaning of food. Unfortunately though the feuding family trope feels like it something I have read too often.
There is excellent character growth for both Bao and Linh from start to finish. And their romance felt believable - growing slowly over time. In my opinion, it was a breath of fresh air to read a healthy and supportive depiction of teenage love, as opposed to a toxic one. I also appreciated the exploration of parental expectations versus following your own dreams; the immigrant experience; and how family histories shape our present.
I am definitely not the intended audience for this one, and to me that was evident. It was nothing exceptional, and I likely won't remember a few months from now. However, I could definitely see the merits for a younger audience and would recommend it to the 13-18 year old age group.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the feuding families trope
• foodies
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Think about what you want. What you want to make and add to the world."
"There's so much in your life that you can't control...So maybe you can use this chance to do something for yourself"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
Moderate: Grief, War, Death, and Classism
Minor: Colonisation
brooklynsoloman's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Their losers 💀
bysoleilceline's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the characters and family dynamics. But unfortunately, I wasn't aware this contained such a strong presence of journalism throughout. This is a very specific subject that I stay far away from in books because I spent 3 years as a journalist and working at a newspaper. So not only am I very passionate about its accurate portrayal in books, seeing it portrayed brings back immense feelings of anxiety and stress. I wish it didn't effect me as much, this is a very subjective review of this book. As I mentioned, the characters and family were lovely and I look forward to reading more of Loan Le's future work. But with such a prominent storyline being about journalism, I believe it really should have mentioned it in the summary. The summary specifically says "a chance encounter" and that encounter ended up being writing reviews in a journalism class. I don't believe that's a spoiler. It took me a lot longer to read than I originally expected because I kept having to take mental health breaks from it because the journalism aspects were really stressing me out.
mali99's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cpenny124's review against another edition
2.0
This was… fine? A little boring and I didn’t really care for the romance. This book wasn’t bad in the slightest it just wasn’t… good either? I don’t understand.
jojosbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
PUB DAY has moved to 24th June 2021 so start preordering guys