Loan Le

With their parents locked in a long standing feud, there’s a forbidden romance aspect to this one and while I did think Linh and Bao were sweet together, for me, the romance ended up being the least interesting part of the book.

I loved that family played such a significant role, that we get to know the parents, learn about their journeys from Vietnam, their immigrant experiences in America, and what ignited the feud. I particularly liked Linh and Bao’s relationships with their moms, show more there’s believable tension there but warmth, too.

If you aren’t interested in reading about food this might not be the book for you, food is mentioned a lot, but I thought all those mentions worked so well with the story, it very much added to the sense of place and culture.

By far though, my favorite thing about A Pho Love Story was Linh’s art. I’m always disappointed when a book tells you a character has a talent or a passion for something yet fails to really show you that talent or passion in action. Here the author does such a fantastic job of inviting the reader into Linh’s creativity, describing her work, her process, the intense concentration she puts into it and what it does for her emotionally. I found those scenes thoroughly engaging, they had me very much invested in the question of whether not Linh would follow her heart or obey her well-intentioned parents. show less

I really enjoyed this book, especially since I listened to the audiobook as I read along with the ARC. Definitely a modern day R&J with a twist at the end. Listening to the audiobook helped with the pronunciation of all the Vietnamese vocabulary. Thankfully the author would include context clues after to help the reader understand and follow along with the story. The line that stood out the most to me was "Where does the line between what I want and what our parents want end?" I know that show more this will resonate with all readers. How do you please your parents while ensuring that you follow your own path. show less

Eu estive doida pra ler esse livro desde que bati o olho na capa e apaixonei, achei a sinopse bem interessante e como eu vinha procurando ler mais personagens diversos aproveitei pra garantir ele. Como o esperado aqui temos a cultura vietnamita em peso, o que é bem legal porque é interessante aprender sobre outras culturas, não somente isso a autora é vietnamita então nós temos uma certa vivência das relações familiares que é bem legal de conhecer. Nesse livro o romance é o grande show more foco, mas também temos todo um retrato de dor e sofrimento pelos quais os pais dos personagens passaram para chegar onde chegaram, o que é algo que influencia e muito a vida dos protagonistas e as expectativas sobre eles. Basicamente a história gira em torno de uma rixa entre as famílias dos personagens principais, que dizem ser devido aos restaurantes ficarem de frente um para o outro. Porém, logo de cara a história nos mostra que essa rixa é sobre algo maior do que uma simples concorrência, e é justamente ela que nos leva até o ponto inicial do nosso casal. Eu gostei de como os protagonistas se aproximaram e devido a isso evoluíram, a química deles é incrível e imediata, nos deixando ansiosos por mais momentos roubados entre eles. Eu gostei de como é um romance leve apesar de todo o segredo, o casal principal não tem aquele drama muito comum em livros adolescentes e fiquei muito feliz em ver adolescentes agindo conforme a idade. Claro, no livro vemos toda a pressão que a família faz em cima deles, mas nada fora do comum para a fase. Eu achei o livro bem divertido, perfeito para todas as idades e que ainda deixa o coração quentinho, só não dei 5 estrelas porque no final senti meio corrido e falta de algumas coisas que é mais problema meu do que do livro. Por fim, esse é um livro que eu totalmente leria de novo ou até mesmo um conto no futuro dizendo algumas coisas que aconteceram depois. show less

4.75 stars rounded up

This was such a lovely, sweet college romance between characters that were previously seen in A Pho Love Story. I absolutely loved the treatment of mental health in this book and the amazing found family of friends. Tate, Kale, and Lis are incredible to the main characters. Really, my only complaint was that the writing style could be a bit jarring at times, referring to people as "his/her friend" instead of by name. The family dynamics were on point and the pressure of show more being the oldest/only child was so well depicted.

While the protagonists are college age, there is no spice in this book beyond kissing, and it doesn't need it. I loved the way their relationship developed from friends to more.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review. show less