A Pho Love Story

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, 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 show more 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 this will resonate with all readers. How do you please your parents while ensuring that you follow your own path.

This was such a cute book! I fell absolutely in love with this Romeo-and-Juliet-like story and its delightful cast of characters. Much like a delicious bowl of pho, this book was heartwarming and cozy and generally perfect for helping me get through the struggle that was January.

Bao and Linh in particular were super-cute and relatable, and I really felt for them, which is something that doesn't happen to me all that often anymore when I read YA contemporary. I guess that's a sign I'm getting old... Bao's struggle to find his purpose and Linh's conflict between her passion for art and her parents' expectations were 100% realistic and something I could really sympathise about. The romance was also adorable, and I just could not get enough show more of these two!

The secondary characters were also really well developed, and I enjoyed seeing all the various relationships developing and changing. This is really a book about family and friendship and community as well as romance, and I loved seeing that come through so naturally in the secondary characters as well.

It was extremely refreshing to read about Vietnamese-American characters, something which I hadn't done before, and I feel like this allowed me to get a glimpse of such a rich culture. Bao's and Linh's families come from a traumatic past, which heavily influences their choices, but always remains in the background, never taking over. I particularly loved the vivid and rich descriptions of various Vietnamese foods, and it made me curious to try more of them. The downside: I was hungry for most of this book!

One thing I would have liked to be done differently is the way that Vietnamese language is used throughout the book. There are many passages where whole sentences and exchanges are conducted in Vietnamese, which in itself is a wonderful thing, but often there was no translation or summary of what was said to accompany that. Now, I could sometimes guess what was said or make it out from the context, but there were a few instances where I was left completely clueless as to what had just been said, and that took something away from the experience for me.

Overall, this is a very pleasant, lighthearted ownvoices read with lovable characters. Fair warning: do not consume on an empty stomach, as it will cause unlimited cravings for delicious Vietnamese foods, going well beyond the better-known pho.


I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. show less

this really picked up for me after the first 2/3 or so. before that it was ok, nothing special (except for the representation, which i loved). but once the story became about more than just a restaurant rivalry, it was so much more interesting to me. it didn't end with that being as big or dramatic as i expected, but it at least made it more dimensional for me. still, it is great to have this robust (not just the characters and their history, but a lot of the language and culture) representation in a book, so for that it's worth it to read.

Bao and Linh's families not only have competing Vietnamese restaurants right across the street from one another, but they also seem to hate each other passionately. When Bao comes to Linh's rescue during their annual Pho day and helps serve the food at her family's restaurant, Linh starts to see that there might be more to Bao and his parents than she had been told by her mother and father. In the meantime, Linh has been lying to her family about how she spends her time after school because they don't understand her desire to pursue a career in art. At the same time, Bao's family would just like for him to decide on something that he will do with his life.

A Pho Love Story provides a very good look into Vietnamese culture and ancestral show more values. Many traditional dishes are described as they are prepared and served in the story. In addition, the everyday lives of Vietnamese-American citizens in the US are profiled, which also includes different ways prejudice causes suffering in communities where Vietnamese-American citizens live. The weakest part of this book is the romance between Bao and Linh. They are very likable characters and are extremely nice, but the conflict between them is almost nonexistent. The supporting characters in this story, however, are fun and quirky, making them the most interesting part of the book. Overall, A Pho Love Story provides a fascinating look into Vietnamese culture but leaves the audience wanting more in the way of romance. show less

This YA romance about two first generation Vietnamese American high schoolers whose parents own dueling restaurants was sweet.

I almost stopped early on because it just wasn’t hooking me. But I’m glad I didn’t because it made me realize something about romance/rom com books:

The romance/rom com books that I like the most have a really good and fun and creative (even if completely unbelievable) parallel plot that’s part of the environment of the romance but is also it’s own plot almost. The parallel plot (Is there a literary term for this?) in Pho Love Story just didn’t do it for me, but it may be because I’m so culturally distanced frm the experience of Vietnamese or Asian or immigrant experiences so It was harder for me show more to latch on. So I suspect it’s different for others. Still, this realization was new to me, and I like that.

EXCEPT.

SPOILERS. Or hint at spoiler.

There WAS a really compelling aspect of the parallel plot but we didn’t get any hint at it until at least halfway through, which is way too late! Had hints been dropped sooner I would’ve been engaged way sooner. Once that plot emerged I was in it.

One other critique is that Lin and Bao just seemed either way too mature or way too innocent (or both?) I do like YA romance but I guess I don’t like it when they act more adult than young and as if this romance is their last one ever. I think you can do a HEA ending without assuming it really is FOREVER show less

Narrated by Vyvy Nguyen and Ryan Do. A Romeo and Juliet story set in competing Vietnamese restaurants. Bao and Linh are almost opposite in temperament and drive but they understand what it's like to grow up in the restaurant business. A school newspaper assignment brings them together and soon they are spending time in each other's company, although with the spectre of angry Vietnamese mothers hanging over them. The two families' conflict is rooted in a complex personal history back home in Vietnam. Readers will better appreciate the plight of Vietnamese refugees and their hard-working lives in America for the benefit of their children. Nguyen and Do's narration and bilingual skills make a credible and authentic performance. They bring show more the Vietnamese community portrayed to vivid life. (Although Do's sometimes rapid delivery meant a slithering past of phrases that I would have to rewind back.) A light, multicultural romance for older middle school and up. show less