Solving for the Unknown

by Loan Le

In this sweet, incredibly heartfelt companion to A Pho Love Story, Vietnamese Americans Viet and Evie juggle family expectations with their desire to forge their own path in between college classes and falling in love.

To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.

A sweet, emotional slice-of-life story, Solving for the Unknown is about characters questioning the paths they have taken and finding a new path that will lead them to their happiest selves.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Mental Health, Young Adult Romance, Realistic Fiction

Hardcover

First published March 4, 2025

About the author

Loan Le is the author of A Phở Love Story, a YA rom-com that earned praise from NPR, POPSUGAR, Bustle, Bon Appetit, USA TODAY, and Buzzfeed. Solving for the Unknown, her next YA contemporary novel and a companion to A Phở Love Story, is slated for Spring 2025. Her speculative short story appeared in Firsts & Lasts, a YA anthology that Penguin Workshop released in Fall 2023. She holds an MFA degree in fiction from Fairfield University, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree. She is an editor at Atria Books, a Simon & Schuster adult imprint, where she acquires dark fiction. When Loan isn’t writing young adult novels, she’s writing ghostly, dark adult fiction, trying to make sourdough bread, and listening to BTS. Visit her website at writerloanle.com and find her on X @loanloan and Instagram @loanloanle.

Reviews

[Loan Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

COMING SOON

The author sure took her time to write this book. Can't believe it's actually in existence now and that people can read it next week...

:)

June 2024
The cover was just officially revealed! Please add to your shelves or pre-order now!

https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...

December 2023

Okay . . . so I might have an official pub date? Spring 2025! First draft is with my editor now!!!

December 2021

Oh, friends. This has been a tough one to write!!!

There's no real update, only me complaining here :) Just a reminder for any new people seeing this review: this novel will be more contemporary than rom-com, so just remember that whenever this darn book is published.

Original

It's masterful! It's heartwarming! It's . . .

Nonexistent. But I'm working on it!

[joni ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 4/5 ⭐️

‎

being the eldest daughter feels like being an only child

arc review 💌
release date: march 4

⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
🩵 friends to lovers
🫂 mental health rep (depression)
🩵 slow burn
🫂 eldest daughter x only child
🩵 vietnamese rep
🫂 slow burn

⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 2025.02.24
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 2025.02.26

꒰ 📚꒱ 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 - this book follows viet and evie, who both go to the same university. viet is friends with evie's younger sister (the fmc from a pho love story) this is a companion novel to that. viet is an only child with parents who argue all the time, he has depression which affects him at random times. there are days, which he calls "dark days" when he gets really sad and can't do anything, shutting everyone else out. evie is the eldest daughter, who is always there to help others, always putting herself second. she's in a relationship of 2 years, but he's not the best overall. he's kinda rude and careless with her. things were great as a freshman but started going downhill. he comes from money, but doesn't put her first. when evie and viet first meet on campus, they realize they have a mutual connection, she introduces him to her friend group and they hit it off immediately. overtime viet grows feelings for evie but feels like it's wrong of him to do so, since she's in a relationship and all. they are really close, running a few times a week together. there's not cheating of any sort in this book.


꒰ ☕️ ꒱ 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
this was such a cute read and i'm so glad to finish febuary with this. viet was SO relatable, and all these books with depressed characters are making me realize that i'm actually depressed (so yayy) and like it's actually heartbreaking and honestly a fresh outside perspective. that probably made no sense lol. i love evie sm, she's also really relatable since she's an eldest daughter who strives to be perfect and not needy. i've always been told i'm too much and too loud, needing too much but i actually don't ask for help etc. when i need to and it's just sad honestly. i loved how she and viet had a authentic friendship to start off with since it made it so real and they learned about each other first. helping one another with struggles, this slow burn was completely worth it. it didn't feel like a romance novel at times, i'd say it's more ya fiction/coming of age with mental health topics and a side plot of romance. i completely reccomend if you want a cute, ya, romcom.


────୨ৎ────

warnings: no spice, little kissing (no deep descriptions) some lgtbq (2 friends are in a gay relationship) some swearing- sh*t, i don't think the f bomb was dropped
age rating: 12/13+ (just know some mental health stuff might be affect you so keep that in mind)

thanks to simon & schuster and edelweiss plus for an e-arc

────୨ৎ────

pre- read
this has been on my e-reader for months now and i decided to start it <33
2024.11.11
got the arc!!

[yasmin!! :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✏ solving for the unknown 🏫
╰┈➤ ♾/5 stars ⭐

⊹₊⟡⋆જ⁀➴ "She continued staring at the clouds. "For years, being the eldest daughter feels like being an only child. And I don't mean it's because we literally are in the world for a few extra years before our siblings are born. We're expected to do something for the first time, then expected to do well, no matter what. Being polite, get the best grades, things like that."

this was the cutest book ever!! 🤧💕



˗ˏˋ tropes ˎˊ˗
📝 clean romance
📝 vietnamese reps (BOTH FMC & MMC)
📝 strangers to lovers
📝 depression rep (MMC)
📝 college setting
📝 meet cute
📝 he falls first
📝 no third act breakup
📝 older girl x younger boy
📝 found family



writing + plot ── .✦
i've read A Pho Love Story by this author and DEVOURED IT!! i expected nothing less w/ Loan Le and her 2nd book, Solving for the Unknown!! the writing was smooth and easy to understand, but beautiful at the same time. the plot goes about a college third-year named evie, who had a boyfriend named jake i wanted to punch him in the face 😤 and a college first year named viet. as the story goes on, they find out that they're both from the same town, and slowly become friends. evie and her friends (the saturday sins) welcome viet w/ open arms and BAM- he's in a friend group!

⊹₊⟡⋆જ⁀➴ "Evie paused. "Are we destined to run into each other? With you on the ground?"

✎ᝰ.evelyn (evie) mai
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။|||||။၊|။• "Caught in the Middle" Paramore ♬.ᐟ
⤿ it shocked me on how relatable evie was. i also unfortunately deal w/ the problem of being the eldest child. her parents expected her to be the best and get a stable career. she's also trying to be a doctor, because she has the need to help everyone, and helping everyone makes her feel wanted and proud of herself loan, are you watching me?? 😃. i loved how caring she was w/ viet. when he was breaking down, she didn't judge or abandon him, but instead, she comforted him until he was back to his normal state. I DEFINITELY THINK HER LOVE LANGUAGE IS ACTS OF SERVICE!! 🥹

⊹₊⟡⋆જ⁀➴ "He couldn't have this crush, whatever it was called. Because they could never be together."

✎ᝰ.viet ho
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။|||||။၊|။• "Creep" by Radiohead ♬.ᐟ
⤿ this guy was going through so much during the book that i felt bad for him. he must've felt frustrated and upset w/ his parents arguing all the time when he was little. he feels like he's being forced to choose a side. i have no clue where his depression appeared and what the reason was, but i hope those depressed episodes happen less often. i just wanna give him a hug. 🫂 he's lucky to have evie and her friends by his side throughout his journey in college, cuz not a lot of people are lucky. if you're currently suffering w/ depression: YOU'RE LOVED AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE!!! 🥹🫂💕

⊹₊⟡⋆જ⁀➴ "You feel familiar." Yes, he was definitely still not awake. She tilted her head, the end of her ponytail brushing her bare shoulder. "Me? I'm familiar?"

.
.
.
.
.


pre-read ⋆📝˚｡⋆
⤷ my 2nd book by Loan Le , i'm super excited!!! 😍🥰

[Sasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars

sophomore slump, who? loan le doesn't know her because solving for the unknown was even better than her debut novel! another unapologetically vietnamese novel that boasts family drama, relationship woes in all corners, and a little side of romance. i'll admit that the book had me anxious in the first half because i thought we were gonna be taken for a cheating subplot and i'm happy that's not the case. wonderful, heartwrenching, and surprisingly fun! david lee huynh and vyvy nguyen did an incredible job on the audiobook and i highly recommend it!

---

cover artist: alex cabal

[jasmin]

Let me just read this the summer after I graduate *insert crying emojis bc I am typing on a school chromebook*

[Leticia&#x1f33b; · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

If you loved the characters from A Pho Love Story as much as I did, this book will be perfect for you. In Solving for the Unknown, we follow Viet (Bao's best friend) and Evie (Linh's older sister) while they are attending UC Davis.

In this story, the author digs deeper in the family dynamics and the mental health of the main characters.

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

Solving for the unknown? More like solving for the plot.

I need a little banter in my stories, I need a little like I don't know more chemistry? Maybe it's the fact that friends to lovers (and slowist slow burn at that) is not my favorite but when done well it is a 10/10. Also our fmc was in a relationship at the start of the book for a good chunk so mentally that through me off but yeah, the plot was mid. I did love the cameos our mc's from A pho love story--which was a fantastic book let me tell you) but yeah, really sad because I loved the author's first book

come back when the relationship is more developed, the plot is found, and Im not just bored out of my mind.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a rollercoaster of emotions

Loan Le if you are reading this — do we know each other??? Like why did I also experience everything that happened to these characters???

Shout out to student run health clinics 😅

[Hannah]

2023 is so far away 😭😭😭

[aarushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

so understated and yet so emotional, this book portrayed evie's and viėt's journeys so well and had such a sweet slow-burn romance between them. i loved the depiction of their families. this almost slice-of-life college story was such a comforting read (for my insane high school senior self) because of the wonderful depictions of friendship, both in terms of becoming art if a new friend group and keeping up with old ones. i loved the friendships in this book so much! overall, a heartwarming read that was well worth the time.

[Oviya · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 3.75

[Natalie ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Simon Teen & NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I initially didn’t realize that this was an interconnected standalone to another book by this author, A Pho Love Story, but it was such a good one! I read APLS last year and really enjoyed being back in that universe while still having a whole new story.
On its own, this book is such a wholesome, cute college romance: lighthearted but still with just enough serious undertones and meaning. It has depression rep in our MMC and also deals with tough family dynamics, divorce, etc, which were all addressed so well, but didn’t make the story too heavy.

The feeling of found family as our MMC meets a friend group and by the end becomes totally part of it was so sweet and such a great display of friendship.
The romance was the same way.

All in all, this was a great read and I had such a fun time! Would definitely recommend for a diverse college romance!

[Kayleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

there were so many great parts of this book, however they were all so underdeveloped. i didn't believe the romance when it finally started and the other plots fizzled out at the end without any concrete conclusions

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

i couldn’t get into this at all, boring

[Cameron Charping · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ This was cute. I think if you like college age characters as well as the Asian cultural/parental expectations it’s worth a read. Loan Lee touches on divorce, mental health, finding yourself, silly/wonderful friends, and friends to lovers romance.

Synopsis:
To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.

Thank you to @netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and the author for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #solvingfortheunkown #arcreview #releaseday

[Kaitlin Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet and heartfelt read. Thank you to Simon Teen for the e-Arc!

This book is a wholesome and lovely college romance. Two students from the same hometown discover a connection between them when they find each other at the same college. This is peak friends to lovers! These characters are relatable and fun and the world crafted felt authentic and real. While this book is mostly lighthearted, it wasn’t afraid to dive into more serious topics and issues. It dealt with topics such as depression, divorce, and tough family dynamics. It also had wonderful Vietnamese representation.

When I picked this up, I didn’t realize that it was a companion novel! It would have made this world richer if I had read that book first, but it did not stop me from enjoying this book. I loved Evie’s and Viet’s journey a lot, and will be definitely revisiting A Pho Love Story to meet his friends. I also would love to see an Ali story, really hoping the tease we got will lead to another book!

This story has a wonderful found family aspect to it, as we see Viet make so many amazing friends at school and find his home. This story really made me want to root for the characters. As an older sister, I really related to Evie and her struggles. I am very glad she learned to stand up for herself and find the love she deserves,

If you are looking for a soft and sweet college romance, this is it!

[Chelsea (gofetchabook)]

This was a cute, clean, friends to lovers college romance.

I say clean because there weren't any closed door scenes, nothing went beyond kissing in the book.

This follows the story of Viet and Evie who bond in college over their love of running and being from the same hometown. Evie has a boyfriend throughout most of the book. It follows the two's friendship while Evie comes to terms on her own that her boyfriend has a lot of red flags and doesn't treat her the way she deserves to be treated.

I loved that Viet was just a really good solid friend, and although it was clear to the reader that he had feelings for Evie, he didn't push any boundaries or try to make any moves when she had a boyfriend. He didn't really even push her on anything, which I thought was pretty admirable.

If you are looking for a cute college romance that is entirely clean, you should check this one out.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down
Especially after "Pho Love Story", this was disappointing. It clearly needed more editing - I found a sentence italicized that should not have been like 50 pages in. There was a whole lot of passive voice throughout the whole story that really detracted from a story that had such heart behind it - discussions about divorce, immigrant parents and communities, depression during college (especially untreated depression), finding friend groups as new adults, etc. However, this story really felt half-baked, leading to a lower rating. Not something that I could really recommend, though I did appreciate a better college story for YA (looking at you, Emma Lord).
contains mentions of cursing, drinking, queer side characters, slight kissing

[Mori K]

Just finished A Pho Love Story , and I can't wait to read another book in that universe, especially one that explores Viet's and Evie's characters, which made me so curious in APLS!

[Erika, I Guess⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She saw him, clear as day. And he saw her too."

Excuse me while I giggle and cry at how adorable and warmhearted this was.

[Tava Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute little book!
Good friends turn to lovers.
Duo pointed view!

[brontësaurus]

I WANT THIS GIMME

[ʚ♡ellie♡ɞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

it was cute but idk kinda basic

[fanboyriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lighthearted college romance with realistic angst that fit well with the plot. This was an enjoyable read, it had an amazing friend group, realistic depression rep, and good character development.

The romance is so nicely done in such a short amount of time, a friendship developing before anything else was really sweet. I had such a good time reading this, it was the perfect rom-com vibe that I needed.

(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity!)

Read For
✓ Rom-Com
✓ Found Family
✓ Friends to Lovers
✓ Good Depression Rep
✓ Wholesome Friendships

⚠️ Content Warning
Moderate: Mental illness

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

Spice Level: n/a
Sad Level: 💧

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: Viêt

Favorite Quote: ❝"Don't give me shit like 'Boys aren't supposed to cry,’” Evie warned him. "No, I'm just worried my mascara's going to run," he attempted to joke.❞

POV: Duel, Third Person
Pages: 333
Format: eBook
Language: English
Release Date: 04, March 2025
Rep/Extras: Vietnamese characters, LGBTQIA+ side characters, Depression Rep

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a sweet read! It made me reminisce my first year of college & my own friends. I really enjoy this authors writing style as well. I do wish we saw more of Viet & Evie’s relationship, I feel like it happened at the last portion of the book & it was rushed through a bit..but nonetheless, this was very heartwarming!

[Ruei (Ruei's Reading Corner)]

This is going to be awesome!!

[Ariah]

NO WAY THIS EXISTS?? OR WILL EXIST?? PLEASE I NEED THIS!!!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNFed at 33%

There was nothing really wrong with the book I was just bored, possibly at another time I might have enjoyed it, but I could not get into it.

[vy (laufey’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) ★★★★
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ loan le never misses. i loved returning to the world of 'a pho love story,' this time featuring a slow-burning romance between bao's best friend, viet, and linh's sister, evie. the cultural aspects of evie and viet's relationships with their families made me smile, reminiscing on the times my own parents have expressed more or less the same sentiments, and the portrayal of mental health was realistic and sensitive to the struggles of people who experience such things daily. plus, mouthwatering food descriptions courtesy of cale and tate, as is loan le's trademark ❤︎

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── CHARACTERS.

EVIE.
ׂ╰┈➤ oh i adored her so much! she's who i want to be when i grow up. her penchant for helping others work through their problems is sure to make her an amazing doctor. reading about her dynamic with the saturday sins group & her family was so lovely--it's clear how much she cares.

VIET.
ׂ╰┈➤ he's literally me, i'm so serious. his awkwardness around evie, his inability to put his feelings into words, his constant care of the people around him, and his fear of being the reason his parents are unhappy together really struck a chord with me. i found his depression to be extremely well-written, and i loved how everyone in his life stood by him instead of invalidating his struggles.

LISE.
ׂ╰┈➤ idk how to spell her name bc i was on the audiobook 😭 she's such a ball of fire, and her passion for forensics and uplifting her friends were amazing! i love her banter with the saturday sins group and how she was always there to cheer up evie with ice cream and her kindness. ❤︎

CALE.
ׂ╰┈➤ masterchef in the making! he cares so much for his friends, and his love language, like most asian parents, is definitely through cooking food for them. him constantly teasing viet and encouraging him to make a move on evie was adorable, he's definitely the captain of the ship. ❤︎

TATE.
ׂ╰┈➤ the mediator of the group--he and cale are the scheming boyfriends i never knew i needed.

OTHER.
ׂ╰┈➤ boo jake!! he was an entitled douchebag and deserved what he got!! bao and linh are literally my parents, thank you very much--i loved how lovey-dovey they were in this, as well as their banter and teasing with viet and evie about their crushes. ali is, as always, a badass icon, who just scares me (and viet) a teeny tiny bit. viet's parents were such fleshed-out characters who reminded me so much of my own, down to his father's glasses and his mother's facebook shorts addiction.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── PLOT.
ׂ╰┈➤ this is the college coming-of-age experience of my DREAMS, honestly. if i don't have a small but tight-knit friend group who meets up every saturday night for dinner when i'm there, i don't want it. books like these make me so excited for the future and the road that lies ahead of me. all these characters are so complex and layered, i loved following along on the journey with them.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ROMANCE.
ׂ╰┈➤ they did NOT pull out the sick trope on me... oh my goodness, my heart is actually fluttering. the way he made her chicken soup while she was in bed ❤︎ their first kiss was beautifully written, as well as the love confession(s)--and the way they're so loved and supported by their best friends. the first picnic date, the TRUST and COMMUNICATION between them (*side eyes every ya author ever*). and also, folks--NO THIRD-ACT BREAKUP. I REPEAT, NO THIRD-ACT BREAKUP. WE WON.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── TL;DR.
ׂ╰┈➤ such a cute and lighthearted read that didn't shy away from important topics, and it helped me out of my reading slump! emma lord stans... i fear i have a new author to put y'all on....

the only reason i didn’t give this five stars was because the writing style annoyed me a lot at times, due to the constant overuse of phrases such as “our friend” and “her boyfriend,” etc. in place of a certain character’s name. it reminded me of the way i used to write in elementary school and turned me off severely—but otherwise, it would’ve been a perfect book for me 🫶

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ♫ PLAYLIST. ♫
𝄞 you are in love (taylor swift)
𝄞 lucky for me (laufey)
𝄞 wasteland, baby! (hozier)
𝄞 apple pie (lizzy mcalpine)
𝄞 line without a hook (ricky montgomery)
𝄞 lover girl (laufey)
𝄞 that way (tate mcrae)
𝄞 18 (one direction)
𝄞 serendipity (laufey)

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solving for the Unknown is told from the dual perspectives of Việt and Evie, both of who were also in A Pho Love Story. Although connected through Evie’s little sister Linh, it was a chance meeting at the college they both attended that became their meet-cute. The story was as much about friendship as it was about romance, with Evie drawing Việt into her circle of friends. Those friends formed a found family for all involved, which was beautiful and supportive and everything anyone could want in a friend group. They were truly there for each other in all the important ways.

The author didn’t shy away from difficult topics, either. Việt’s own family dynamic was difficult, affecting his mental health in ways he didn’t really understand at first. It was his friends’ support that helped open his eyes, that helped him find his way through it. His pain and suffering were palpable and heart-wrenching, but still surrounded by hope. And the author explored the difficulty of expectations, both cultural and familial. As an only child and eldest sister, these expectations weighed heavily in the people that Việt and Evie became, in how they approached the world. But while they used it in positive ways, there was a character whose own familial and cultural expectations manifested in ways that were far last positive.

The only downside I could possibly have with this book is the same as with A Pho Love Story. There is a fair bit of Vietnamese in the book, some of which is not always explained very clearly. I’m lucky that I speak enough of the language to be able to understand the majority of it, but it could be difficult for someone who does not speak it. However, I didn’t find any of it to be of such significance as to leave understanding of what was happening lacking.