I absolutely ADORED this book!!

Bao and Linh are two teenagers navigating high school and helping their families run competing Vietnamese restaurants. Bao and Linh avoid each other most of their lives until Linh's friend, Ali, asks them to review neighborhood restaurants for the school's newspaper. Through the process, the two fall in love and start navigating a relationship when their families hate each other. They also separately find their true passions and dreams for their futures.

Le does a fabulous job depicting Vietnamese-American culture and the ups and downs of running a business with family. I also really appreciated that while the relationship of Bao and Linh was prominent in the novel, it was not it's main focus. Le made sure that each character found their purpose and "thing" apart from each other.

This book is for anyone who enjoys an adorable story that isn't just fluff.

This book is a sweet teen romance that follows Linh and Bao. Each of them from families that run Vietmanese restaurants....that are right across the street from each other....and have had a silent feud for decades.

Linh and Bao met when they were young, but have mostly avoided each other because of their feuding families. But the book's events bring them together and they're unable to deny that they have feelings for one another. They start dating without telling their parents and thus have to create many ruses to not let on to their parents that they are dating.

This book is a sweet take on the Romeo and Juliet concept without it being a true retelling. Instead, what you get is complicated and rich family relationships, a lovingly created representation of a culture and an industry that you don't see many books about, and two excellent teenage characters who have wit and charm and lots of reasons to keep you reading.

I loved immersing myself in Linh's art founded on memories and her relationship with color. There were times when she mentioned bits about art history, and I was like "ahhh!!" about these parts because I'm studying art history lol. I also felt attached to Bảo because of his journalism/writing. I'm a writer/editor for my college's newspaper (I help head the Arts & Entertainment section, no surprise!), so I felt very at home in his chapters, especially when he was in the newspaper's office. During these moments, I was definitely picturing mine, where I've spent countless hours making the week's issue.

Another personal thing, but I appreciated the mention of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards because it brought back memories!! I submitted my writing to this national competition between middle school (when I was about 13 or 14) and senior year of high school (I was probably 18), and I've gotten a few Gold Keys and a Silver Medal. I remember the award ceremony in Carnegie Hall!

Back to A Phở Love Story: some parts were so e m o t i o n a l!! People, even those who you love and think you know best, can still surprise you. This book peels back the layers and complexities of families, especially the experience of immigration and finding a new life in a new country that sometimes doesn't seem to want you back. One of the reasons why I didn't rate this book 5 stars is because I did kind of guess a major plot point, and the ending felt a bit rushed for the pacing established.

Otherwise, Bảo and Linh's romance is so sweet!! It's very cute and soft. And oh yes, I do want to try learning basic Vietnamese because of A Phở Love Story, so there's that too. Highly recommend!

This was an adorable ya rom com with a Romeo & Juliet aspect to it set in rival pho restaurants!
I loved the romance & I also loved learning the backstory of both sets of parents and how they came to the US from Vietnam.
Overall I really enjoyed this and am so happy to have read it!

A lovely contemporary debut about first love, family history, and food feuds.

This story was a joy to read. Not only were the main characters and those around them compelling, but they also grew in interesting and authentic ways. The romance is what initially appears to be at the heart of the story, and it is swoon-worthy.

But as the story progressed, more and more I saw the themes focusing on the ghosts of family secrets, the impacts of trauma on the second-generation, and the importance of being honest with yourself and those around you. This focus, specifically evident in the second half, is really what set this book apart from many other entertaining offerings in this genre.

All in all, a beautifully crafted contemporary about love in all its forms.

In the same vein as This Is My Brain In Love by I.W. Gregorio, this story is a Vietnamese Romeo and Juliet. Bao and Linh's families have competing restaurants and are enemies, but the two of them are friends - and are starting to become more. Can their families handle it or will everything fall apart?

'A Pho Love Story' is ADORABLY cute and I absolutely adored it! It's a story about first love and all the sweet emotions that come along with it. It's about finding your own identity while dealing with expectations of your family. It's about every puzzle piece that makes us who we are and how to love all of it. Plus.. some major details of delicious food!

"When I paint, there's always a moment where I just know that I'm finally finished. The colors and textures come together to depict a feeling of rightness. Us, here, is that rightness."

There's Vietnamese rep which we don't see much of in YA (ahhh!) and such great family dynamics. I can't recommend this book enough - it'll be released on February 9th so make sure to pick up a copy! <3

4 stars

This YA romance, told from the alternating perspectives of Bao and Linh (who are the two halves of this central narrative), focuses as much on the relationship between these characters as on their family stories. I found this a refreshing take.

Bao and Linh are the children of long-time restaurant rivals. Their parents inexplicably detest each other and make this apparent through a variety of false claims and strong warnings against each other's restaurants and personal characteristics. In true YA fashion, this doesn't permanently deter their children from wanting to be in each other's lives.

The romance is fun to read, and so is the character development of both m.c.s, but for me, the food, the location, and the family drama are the absolute highlights. I was hungry the entire time I read this and am craving all of it. As a So Cal native who works and lives close to where this takes place, I couldn't help but love that relatable aspect. Most of all, I really like how the family stories unfold across the novel.

In an effort to fully disclose, I do feel the middle of the novel could benefit from some additional editing; it did slow for me a bit there. That noted, overall, I really enjoyed the read, and I will enthusiastically recommend it to my students who will unquestionably love their proximity to the story along with all of its other tremendous offerings.

Thank you Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

A cute debut #ownvoices YA novel - this was my first novel featuring Vietnamese characters and I was super excited just judging by its title since Vietnamese food/pho is one of my favorite cuisines and we order pho a few times a month! Overall, I liked this YA Romeo and Juliet story featuring rival pho restaurants. It discusses the pressure a lot of Asian kids face from immigrant parents and I could definitely relate. How many times did my grandma tell me to major in accounting, medicine, law, or engineering so I could have a stable future? Le also did a great job weaving in the history of Vietnam and the hardships its citizens faced in the past. I am not the most well versed in world history so this was a good lesson. While I loved all the food discussions in the novel, it was a little too much because the book felt a bit wordy and I found myself skimming some parts. I also wished the Vietnamese dialogue had better context so a non speaker could still follow the conversations.

This was so adorable! I loved that Bảo and Linh felt like REAL high schoolers -- that is, they had real high-schooler worries -- and their budding relationship was perfectly paced. The war between the families' restaurants was a perfect backdrop for this story, and I loved the way that Le created additional tension between Bảo and Linh separate from the drama between their parents. The supporting characters were lovely (Chef Le was a particular favorite and I would like a sequel about him and Saffron please and thank you), and I just really enjoyed this story!

“A Pho Love Story will have readers falling in love and hungry too. It has so much to offer about the Vietnamese culture, language, food, and history that is as mesmerizing as it is delectable.” Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

There are so many reasons I love this book.

Le masterfully takes art, teenage love, and Vietnamese food and melds them into a brilliant romance that is homage to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. As if Le were the Greek god Hephaestus, instead of using raw materials of ore and iron, Le plucks experiences from humanity: love, friendship, grief, acceptance, and second-chances, fusing them into a blaze of indelible moments as iridescent as the burning stars.

Deeply intimate in the portrayal of family, most profoundly in how attuned Le’s narrative is to bridging the loss and sorrow of the past to the present, blending them together like new hues of paint, creating a story that readers will experience on multiple levels.

There are moments in this novel that I’m still taking in. Recalling the collective words, like intricate brush strokes of a masterpiece, searing its brilliance, its spark into memory. And it is Le’s writing of family and the ties binding them together that really cements A Pho Love Story as an exceptional read.

Family is not easy.

It can be a difficult journey to traverse and when we begin to go down a path our parents did not intend it can become like walking through an open field with hidden landmines. And when our parents find out where we are headed it can be explosive: a bomb detonating and the shrapnel can leave devastating wounds. But, how do you mend those wounds? How do you make things right, while also feeling seen by your parents.

Le has this special moment (I won’t go into detail as it deserves to be experienced) between Linh Mai and her father towards the end of the novel. Tears blurred my vision in how Le wrote this scene, and there was one sentence in particular (I’m already tearing up remembering) left me without words. It made me think, as a parent, this, this is a moment during parenthood that you hold close. You remember.

Additionally, Le’s story is a romance a sweet and adorable one at that. Though, there is this undercurrent of sadness weaved throughout. She writes from a historical context with echoes of the Vietnam War and how it has affected those people who came to the United States as well as the main characters. How running a family restaurant can show the deep bonds and ties of family and the love of their native language and food. Family feuds that can lead to ugly and damaging consequences, but hopeful they can be mended. Finding your passion, even when your family might not agree, but doing it all the same because it brings you immense joy.

Le crafts all of this and so much more with an aroma and taste that is something savory and sweet, without feeling overwhelmed by the enormity and sometime fragility of this coming-of-age love story in just 416 pages.

It’s a book you seriously need to read.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

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 hungry.

You have been warned.

As a loose, Romeo and Juliet retelling, this 100% works (minus the death and tragedy at the end—this isn't 14th century Italy).

In between the ahhhhmazing descriptions of food were two kids growing up, discovering their passions, and maneuvering between the expectations of their parents and their own desires.

Linh knows her passion. She's an artist, but her parents are determined that she become an engineer and have a steady, stable, secure future free from strife and worry, unlike her aunt Di Vhang, who is a semi-famous ceramics artist (her parents only see the struggle throughout the years and not the success).

Bao doesn't know what he wants. He's been driftless for his entire life, between helping his parents run their restaurant and figuring out what he wants in a world where everyone seems to have already found their niche.

When Linh's friend Ali—editor of the school newspaper and the bane of Bao's life—discovers he has a flair for writing (and finds an idea to make students want to read the paper), she assigns him a new beat: review restaurants and become a food critic. His partner, who would accompany his words with gorgeous artwork of food and decor? Linh.

The two slowly realize they have a lot in common, and a lot of chemistry, and slowly began to work through their emotions and dig into the mysterious history of why their parents hate each other so much.

Anywho, I really, really loved this. I liked Linh's determination and emphasized with her slowly spiraling anxiety, and I felt for Bao and his don't-rock-the-boat mentality (his mom wins for best reaction to her child wanting to pursue a less-than-secure career).

I loved the commentary on Vietnamese immigration, with the continued emphasis that not all backgrounds are a monolith, and that countries have (surprise, surprise!) a lot of variety within them. Reading about all of the hard work put on by restaurant owners was fascinating, and I loved learning about the lives of restaurant kids and how they experience the world and each other. Plus, there is a lot on the sense of community, and how communities pull together (or not) around each other in the face of adversity and gossip. There is also some commentary on authenticity versus comfort, with a trendy white-owned fusion restaurant setting up shop in a white-dominant area of town and appropriating the culture of a people for the ~aesthetics~ and the exotic experience (and getting it all wrong, of course).

Also, Saffron rules.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

I really enjoyed this story. The backstory from Vietnam, which was revealed very, very slowly, was intriguing and unique. I did wish the Vietnamese text had been fully translated at some points. I could alwys get the gist, but I wanted it all. This was a romance with more depth than many. Really wanting some Vietnamese food now, too!

A Pho Love Story was *the cutest* love story and an absolutely perfect feel-good distraction from the disastrous start to 2021 that we’ve had! I’m so glad that I picked this book up when I did, because it was such a refreshing and uplifting read!

A Pho Love Story is the story of Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai - two Vietnamese-American teens born into rival family-run pho restaurants. Their entire lives, Bao and Linh have been instructed by their parents to avoid each other at all costs… but after a chance meeting, they realize that all of the horrible things they’ve been told about the other aren’t true… and that they’re both kind of awesome.

YA Romance is a genre that can be a bit hit or miss for me. As a grumpy old 30-something, sometimes the eternal-love aspect of YA’s high school relationships can feel a little silly to my jaded soul… but Bao and Linh’s relationship felt refreshingly down-to-earth, mutually supportive, and based on a genuine friendship. This is the mature type of Romeo-and-Juliet secret-dating love story that I can get behind!

It was really wonderful that Linh and Bao faced unique challenges when it came to pursuing their futures - Linh wanted to become an artist but lacked the support of her parents, while Bao was still searching for his passion - and that they supported and encouraged each other to grow as individuals while also growing their relationship.

I also loved that Bao and Linh’s families had their own backstory and plot line. It gave the book extra depth and allowed the author (Loan Le) to shine a light on the lived experiences of refugees of the Vietnam War and American immigrants like her own parents.

One word of advice - do not read this book on an empty stomach! The food in this book is depicted so deliciously and with so much love… and the discussions of cuisine and how it connects to culture and memory are a real highlight of Le’s story. It will have you craving pho long after you’ve finished the final page.

I highly recommend A Pho Love Story to YA romance fans and anyone who appreciates a good bowl of pho.

A Pho Love Story is a wonderful novel debut by Loan Le. This book is both a light & hopeful romance but also perfectly tells a a more serious story of love, family, and the immigrant experience of two Vietnamese American families.

Linh Mai is a high school student and artist. She works hard in her parents' pho restaurant almost everyday while juggling her art, a dream career that doesn't feel like it is a realistic option in the eyes of her parents. Like Linh, Bao Nguyen is a high school student, and like Linh, he works in his parents' pho restaurant, across the street from Linh's family's restaurant. He doesn't know what his passions are, but knows whatever it is probably isn't the path his parents want him to take.

Although the Mai's and the Nguyen's restaurants are across the street from one another, it's clear both Linh and Bao's parents want nothing to do with each others families and often their parents speak poorly of each other. Linh and Bao have mostly avoided each other, knowing that their parents would not want them hanging out together, but after a chance encounter, they begin to realize how much they enjoy each other's company. They soon begin to realize their families may have history together beyond a petty restaurant rivalry and they explore their own paths while also learning about the paths of their parents.

One of my favorite pieces of this book is that it beautifully tells the story of what it means to be second generation. My father is a second generation Japanese American who worked in his parents' restaurant throughout his childhood; reading some of these scenes made me think on what that experience may have been like. On a more personal note, as a Japanese American covered in tattoos, I almost died of joy when Linh's art teacher turned out to be a heavily tattooed Japanese American woman. I loved seeing a character in this that I felt so similarly to.

I can't wait until publication of this one - I already preordered my copy from Authentic Book Box!

Incoming review to be posted at: https://www.instagram.com/bookedwithemma/

NetGalley ARC | DNF

I’ve read mixed reviews for A Pho Love Story. This is one of the February 2021 book releases that I just couldn’t finish.

The story felt immature/young. The characters had no depth and are tucked into a tedious and uneventful plot. I can't give this YA novel a star-rating since I made it 25% in before calling it. I do know readers that loved it, though.

You can find my full review on The Uncorked Librarian here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/february-2021-book-releases/

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Linh and Bao's families own Vietnamese restaurants across from each other. Both sets of parents are immigrants. Linh has an older sister, Evie, that's in college. Bao and Linh met when they were young and their parents forbid them to talk to each other. The families hate each other, but the kids don't know why. Bao and Linh start talking anyway and realize how much they have in common. Linh wants to be an artist, but her parents want her to have a practical job. Bao wasn't sure what he wanted to do until he was roped into writing and editing for the school newspaper. He and Linh get to work together reviewing restaurants. Bao writes and Linh draws artwork. Their work has become a huge hit and they spend more and more time together. They are both torn between their family loyalties and that fact that they're falling in love.

Linh's family is a bit more strict and traditional. Neither family likes to talk about their pasts. Bao and Linh decide that they need to figure out this rivalry. They don't think it can just be about owning restaurants and that maybe their parents knew each other in Vietnam.

I really adored Linh and Bao. Their relationship grew slowly. Linh's doubts and fears seemed realistic. There is so much about family, friendships, and Vietnamese culture. I definitely got hungry while reading. The pacing was good and I feel like this is a pretty good debut.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

4.75/5 stars

If I'm being honest, I'd have to say one of my favorite things about this book was the food descriptions. They were on point!

I haven't eaten much Vietnamese food in my life, but Le's descriptions of the food cooked up by Bao and Linh's respective family restaurants, especially the pho, had my mouth watering and had me hungering to right that wrong.

Another part of this book that I thought was really well-done were the side characters, especially Ali and Viet. Both of them are so vibrant in their respective characterization, standing out not just from each other and the rest of the cast, but also from Bao and Linh themselves.

I appreciated the way the book took on many topics in addition to being a romance, including racism, the struggles of children of immigrants (and by extension, the struggles of immigrants themselves in parenting), art and what it means, parenthood, familial strife, and oh yeah — that massive secret that haunts both the main characters' families and therefore, their relationship.

The part where I struggled the most was at getting my feet under me, setting-wise. Though Le does a great job of describing the various settings in the little details, I still occasionally found myself feeling adrift in the big picture of where I was supposed to, spatially.

But that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book itself or the romance at the heart of it. Bao and Linh overcome a lot to be together, and their journey is well worth the read. I teared up quite a few times in the final pages, my heart soaring as I gripped the sides of my chair and cheered for everyone in this book to get what they wanted.

This story is absolutely adorable!!! I really enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet nature of the book but also appreciated that it was realistic and not overly dramatic.

My favorite thing about this book was the battle between first and second generation immigrants and the battle in between pursuing passions vs money. It's a conversation i've personally had to have with my family and it was interesting seeing it play out between Linh and Bao.

One thing that was a little difficult for me was the use of Vietnamese throughout the novel. As a non-viet speaker, I could figure out the themes of what was being said but wished there was translation available.

This is a really cute, romantic story about two high school students whose families own rival restaurants. Le's story is steeped with Vietnamese culture, including many words and sentences in Vietnamese, which really carries a strong sense of culture and belonging in the novel. The parents of the two main characters are immigrants to the US, but they've since developed and built upon their American dreams of becoming successful and supporting their families to pave the way for their children.

Linh and Bao are the products of their families struggles, and their initial rivalry soon gives way to friendship and then romance as they discover that they are more similar than they thought. Le does an excellent job of showing their growth and how they each support the other, building each others' confidence and providing a sense of acceptance that they each feel they lack from their parents. I also love the amount of depth built up over the course of the novel of each of these characters. By the end of the story, you really know Linh and Bao, they feel like real people. I think any teen who reads this book will be able to identify with them. Even the side characters are well developed. The families are each given ample presence in the novel, which is very often rare in a YA novel. Their story is integral to Linh's and Bao's stories, as family is such an important element in their lives.

I also like the creativity that is on display in the novel, with Linh's painting and Bao's writing. Slowly, their skills are built up and they grow comfortable with their talents and even their struggles with family acceptance of these talents becomes a facet to the overall conflict within the story.

The romance element is also a strength in this story. Linh and Bao complement each other and as their friendship grows into something more, they come together in the hope of helping heal the rift between their families. I think Le does a good job of avoiding the usual cliches with YA romance in this book, and Linh and Bao both struggle with very real obstacles in the path of their relationship. Every moment feels realistic and the tension is a nice element that keeps the reader invested in the story.

Overall, I think this is a very strong, well-built story, with characters that are three dimensional and diverse. I would definitely recommend this book.