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A Pho Love Story

Loan Le (Goodreads Author)

3.85 · Rating details · 2,544 ratings · 773 reviews

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.

If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting ...more

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Published February 9th 2021 by Simon Pulse

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Average rating 3.85 ·

Rating details

· 2,544 ratings · 773 reviews

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Feb 27, 2021 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 ...more

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Aug 04, 2020 Lien marked it as maybe

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.

flag 216 likes · Like · see review

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

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, 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 ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Phuong ✯ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, books-read-in-2021, friends-to-lovers, gorgeous-covers, watch-paint-dry-is-more-interesting, 3-stars-enjoyable-but-forgettable, young-adult, rambling-thoughts-and-rant-reviews, welcome-to-felt-nothing-ville, poc-representation

– 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 ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-of-color, friends-to-lovers, 2021-releases, characters-of-color, forbidden-romance

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 ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Tova marked it as 2021-releases · review of another edition

This looks ridiculously cute, and I am super excited.

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

Jun 23, 2020 michelle (magical reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, released-in-2021, arcs, 2020

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 ...more

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Feb 01, 2021 Shealea marked it as will-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review

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 ...more

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Mar 06, 2021 Teodora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-releases, contemporary, on-app, romance, ya

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 ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Saniya (sunnysidereviews) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-to-read

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.

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 steps it takes to establish a restaurant.

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: 7.25/10 or 4 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

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Jul 03, 2020 delaney rated it liked it · review of another edition

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.

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, exploration of being a first gen, respecting where your parents have come from but then also living a life for yourself.

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. ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Alexa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-reads

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!

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Feb 01, 2021 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell marked it as wishlist · review of another edition

Romance novels about food are my favorite kind of romance

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Feb 26, 2021 Prerana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, ya

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 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 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. ...more

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Jan 11, 2021 laurel [the suspected bibliophile] rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, ownvoices, poc-mc, ya-books, romance, 2021-read, contemporary

The Mai and the Nguyen family have been rivals forever, since long before the Mai family set up a rival Vietnamese restaurant across the street from the Nguyen's restaurant. Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai have been forbidden to speak to each other, but when Bao sees Linh in the alley one day, he gets curious...and the two realize they have a lot in common. Now if they can only hide their growing attraction from their feuding parents.

This was absolutely delightful, although definitely DO NOT read this h ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Trinity Tran rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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. ...more

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Apr 01, 2021 Lauren Lanz rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, trope-enemies-to-lovers, arcs, author-of-colour

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.

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.

~★~ 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! ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 ✫erin✫ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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%. ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 nora 🪐 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended, 2021-read, ownvoices, owned, bipoc-rep, physical-copy, young-adult

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 ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Tiffany (Read By Tiffany) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, 2021-releases, contemporary, asian-representation, made-me-hungry

CAUTION: don’t read this book while hungry because you will find yourself craving a warm bowl of pho, savory egg rolls, crispy banh xeo, and so much more.

Filled with the most delicious food descriptions and a sweet romance, A Pho Love Story explores the complexities of family expectations and forming your own identity. Through our main protagonists, Linh and Bao, we learn about the families’ rivalry in food and shared pasts, shaped by the Vietnam War.

A Pho Love Story follows the dual perspecti ...more

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Jun 25, 2020 prag ♻ marked it as to-read

THE COVER IS SO CUTE!!! I LOVE ILLUSTRATED COVERS

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Feb 13, 2021 Finitha Jose rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There is no need to wonder why 'Romeo and Juliet' is still popular. Times might have changed but we have similar scenarios even now, apparently. And thus we have 'A Pho Love Story' . . oh, don't worry . . . with a happy ending. After all, anything can be resolved if you can talk it out.
I am neither Vietnamese nor American but anyone from Asian families can really relate to Loan Le's debut. The family rivalry is one thing and along with that is the pressing matter of following your dreams. Its a ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Ruei (Ruei's Reading Corner) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, my-favorites, finished-copies, read-in-2021, physical-arcs

Full Review: https://rueisreadingcorner.blogspot.c...

For as long as Bao can remember, he's always been told to stay away from Linh. The same also applies to Linh, whose parents also own a pho restaurant across the street from Bao's. The competitive rivalry is intense and both teens definitely don't plan to cross paths.

Working at a restaurant is hard. Linh would much rather spend time on her art but since her family's part-time workers left, she needs to fill in. One busy night at Linh's family r ...more

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Jan 18, 2021 Lunabookaddict rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved it so so so much. Omg can’t wait to have the finally copy in my hand ✨

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Jul 01, 2020 fanna marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-releases

July 01, 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 EXCUSE ME. And then this cutest cover. ...more

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Feb 21, 2021 Amelia Oswald rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, contemporary, young-adult, romance

It's cute but does it necessary to add a bunch of Vietnamese quotes and wordings with no footnotes? I can understand them I still find it annoying to other readers. (And to Vietnamese readers out there if you choose to read this book please don't take your political stance to judge this book). After finishing this book I already knew that it would be banned in Vietnam (for obvious reason). ...more

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Jan 18, 2021 The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley, 2021-releases, kindle, young-adult

DNF @30%

I had such high hopes for this one because I love books about restaurants, but this one fell flat. The dual first person POVs are too similar, which makes them ineffective. Also, the book is over 400 pages, which I find is unnecessary and makes everything drag. I don’t care enough about the story to endure another 300 pages.

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Mar 02, 2021 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 3stars, reviewed, read2021, romance, young-adult

I’m mad at this book! Because that ending.... ahhhhhhhh gave me all the feels and I loved it so much. But the first 50% or so... it draaaaaged. At times I wanted to dnf so bored was I.

This definitely felt like a book of two halves.

The first half just didn’t have the right kind of pacing in my opinion. The real crux of the storyline felt like it just took too long to get going.

It was inevitable from the get go that the two main characters Linh and Bao would get together. I have no issue with th ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Jewel rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance

Finally, after reading a few disappointing new releases, I have a novel to add to my "2021 book recommendations" list.

I've made no secret of the fact that it's hard for me to appreciate contemporary romance in high school settings. They're usually not my cup of tea because I'm not into light and fluffy, backbiting and popularity contests, and other typical high school factors. When I read those books, I tend to relate more with the older and more mature characters because many of the teenage ma Finally, after reading a few disappointing new releases, I have a novel to add to my "2021 book recommendations" list.

I've made no secret of the fact that it's hard for me to appreciate contemporary romance in high school settings. They're usually not my cup of tea because I'm not into light and fluffy, backbiting and popularity contests, and other typical high school factors. When I read those books, I tend to relate more with the older and more mature characters because many of the teenage main characters I've met made me want to scream with frustration and feel secondhand embarrassment. I'm happy to say that "A Phở Love Story" is NOT one of those books.

What stood out for me in this novel were Bảo and Linh's character development. Even though I'm Filipino-Chinese and they are both Vietnamese, I could relate with both of them. I know the pros and cons that come with working for the family business and having strict and traditional Asian parents as bosses. Loan Le did such a great job writing about the "child of the owner" struggles that I am now wondering if she went through the same experience. I warmed up to Bảo first because he's a genuinely kind and sweet protagonist who gradually discovered his passion for writing as the story progressed. I love watching awesome characters realize how awesome they are. Also, how could I not admire a guy who fights for true love and equality in a thoughtful and respectful way? As for Linh, most of the quotes that touched me came from her POV chapters, which says a lot about how well I understood her feelings and decisions - even her mistakes. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

"I find refuge in art, escaping thoughts like this, to regain control when life throws another obstacle my way. When I work, magic happens; for a few hours at a time, the world just slips away."

"...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."

By the time I reached the end, I wanted to hug Bảo and Linh and tell them how proud I was of them.

There's only one thing about this wonderful novel that I didn't love - the anticlimactic revelation of the family drama. I was expecting something more tragic that would explain years of passionate and uhealthy rivalry. Instead of making me understand, the truth just made me go, "That's it? This mess could have been sorted out years ago, but of course it wasn't because our star-crossed lovers needed more conflict in their romance."

Despite that contrived family drama, I did enjoy learning more about Vietnamese culture, especially their cuisine and family dynamics. I was also impressed by the way the author tackled racism issues and showed the hardships Vietnamese immigrants endured. Those things added a unique flavor and serious layer to this novel that distinguishes it from other contemporary YA romance.

To conclude, I have to warn you: DO NOT READ THIS NOVEL IF YOU ARE HUNGRY. The beautifully detailed descriptions of delectable Vietnamese dishes made me crave phở and bánh xèo. I have never even tried the latter, but thanks to Loan Le, I am now desperate to try it! ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2021 Leah Waters rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, we-need-diverse-books, romance

3.5 stars

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

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About Loan Le

Loan Le

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Loan Le 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. A Pho ...more

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Quotes from A Pho Love Story

“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.” — 2 likes

“Sometimes when I think too much, I make myself sadder, which doesn't help at all.” — 0 likes

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