I did not get to this one before the publication date, however, the format was really messed up when I tried to read it which made it hard to get into.

Oh what can I not say about this book!? It was completely wonderful. A great representative of culture and diversity. Well written and I was truly engaged with the story. Highly recommend!

I was really excited to pick this one up – not only was it a cute looking YA Romance but the secret dating/forbidden dating is a trope I wanted to read more of. I’m so glad I ended up reading this one! The characters were written realistically and were well developed. I believed the way Bao and Linh interacted and supported one another. The best friends were also memorable, despite barely being in it. The complications of family disputes and the hidden secrets and history between the two families was intriguing and kept me interested until the end – with the final twist reveal. I loved the importance Le put in family (relationships and sense of duty) as I found it really relatable. The characters try to do right by their family, but still try to do right for themselves and support the other. The relationships between characters were well formed and you got a scene that these characters did know each other really well.

I loved Le’s writing. I found it funny and realistic – at no point did I find it too outlandish in coincidences, and it was not full of clichés common in the YA genre. I quickly binged it because of how well Le wrote her characters, plot and scenery. Everything felt familiar, despite me never having stepped foot in California. OMG the food! I can’t forget to mention the amount of food in this book. Obviously having two main characters working at family Vietnamese Restaurants, there will be a lot of mentioning of food and boy did it make me hungry! The inclusion of the arts portion of the novel didn’t feel forced and was a nice edition to the family feud portion of the novel.

Overall, I found this to be a cute YA romance that I can see myself reading again come next summer or when I want a cute comforting read. I can’t wait to read the companion novel, Solving for the Unknown, and whatever else Le writes next.

A really sweet and charming contemporary love story. I absolutely loved the food descriptions and they made me crave Vietnamese food every time I picked up the book. Warning: Don’t read this book when you’re hungry.

Linh and Bao were great characters and I loved seeing their friends to lovers story unfold. The only complaint I have is that the pacing was a bit off for me and it sometimes seemed a bit slow.

A cute story, I liked the premise of it, but I couldn't connect with it at the time I had my ARC. It wasn't fast paced enough to hold my attention and just wasn't the genre I was looking for at the time of reading. The cover is stunning and definitely one I will come back to when I am up for a contemporary read!

A Pho Love Story is a pho-nominal story of first love, family feuding and Vietnamese cuisine. It blends food and friendship, with an ever-present hint of romance brewing under the surface.

As a white person, I will never know the struggles and adversity that Vietnamese people face. So while I can give my honest thoughts, I know that my experience of reading this book is not the same as someone who shares the experiences of these characters. I'd highly recommend checking out reviews by Vietnamese readers to get a true sense of the accuracy in representation throughout the story. All that said, I adored this sweet story. As a lover of food and romance, this was the perfect combination for me. Although, I do not recommend reading on an empty stomach, or you'll end up hungry after every description of the delicious meals.

Faced with prying eyes and constant pressure from their parents, Linh and Bao begin a steady friendship, with sparks flying underneath all of the awkward tension. Their slow burn, supportive relationship is so loving and kind and is precisely what every first relationship should be.

While the authenticity of the story is not something that I can decide, I know all too well what it is to be a teenager! Every awkward touch, misspoken word and uncomfortable silence is entirely too familiar. Loan Le perfectly incorporated little details of the teenage experience to create a story that felt true. I fell in love with the dynamic between Linh and Bao and couldn't help but root for their success and happiness together throughout the entire story. I would recommend this book to any who needs a gentle romance, a tension-filled feud, and delectable descriptions of Vietnamese cuisine.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for providing me with an e-arc of this wonderful story in exchange for my honest review.

Loan le did an amazing job at describing the many different foods that were prepared in this book. With having very hard topics discussed, and then having the beautiful dishes described it made it easier to read. I’ve never had pho before and I will be trying to now. This book made me so hungry. Don’t read on an empty stomach! Lol.
I liked the dual perspective way this book was written. I did find it a little long, but overall I enjoyed it!
TW for racism.

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.

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

Warning: Do not read this book if you are hungry!!

A Pho Love Story is about two Vietnamese American teens from rival family run pho restaurants. The families have hated each other for as long as the kids can remember, but always assumed it was because of the competition of their restaurants.

Bao and Linh are both students at the same high school and have pretty much avoided each other for as long as they could. Once they’re thrown together for a school project, they realize they both feel a connection they can’t ignore, but know their families can never find out. As their relationship progresses, they find out more about their families complicated history.

This was one of the few times I actually felt too old reading a YA book. The “forbidden romance” trope doesn’t quite land as well when it’s a high school relationship as it feels like the stakes are just not that high. I also found this book dragged at parts and just felt a bit too long.

It was a cute story though and there were nice moments about the importance of family and how even when you think you know someone, you don’t always know everything. It showed the love of a parent and wanting to make a better life for their kids and accepting those you love for who they are.

I also REALLY enjoyed learning more about the Vietnamese culture and I wanted to eat every dish talked about!

I know there would be a huge audience for this book and I could why someone would relate strongly to this book, but I just didn’t. Overall it was cute, but a bit too long and bland for me - 3/5 stars

Yeeeeeeees!! I literally ate pho yesterday and today after reading this book. The craving is unreal. Do not read this book on an empty stomach!

The book starts a little slow and the character building is weak and one-dimensional but stick with it as it does get better. I love how this book tells the story of Asian families and we definitely need more of these stories being published!

A really sweet and charming contemporary! It sucked me right in from the very beginning - with great writing, and loveable characters. I'm really looking forward to reading more books by Loan Le in the future.

THANK YOU to the publishing company, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of A Pho Love Story by Loan Le!
Before starting with my review, I would love to congratulate the author on publishing her first novel. Hope to see more of her works in the future!
I didn’t expect this book to be so addicting. I’ll admit when I requested this book, I did judge the book by it’s cover (it is one of the cutest covers out there!)... I was expecting a cute and fluffy romance read and boy was I wrong! I never expected this to be such a powerful read. This book not only deals with friendships and family, but racism and the life story of immigrants. It was interesting seeing both main characters (Bao and Linh) deal with the high expectations held by their family and responsibilities.
Indeed, one of my favourite things about this book is the Vietnamese representation! I love seeing the Vietnamese culture in this book! Even just the way food was incorporated was fascinating! FYI do not read this book with an empty stomach. Even without that, I was still craving Vietnamese food (Pho looks soo yummy to me right now!!!).
Bao and Linh are such great characters! I loved the dual perspective so much. You would think it would be confusing...but nope! So well-written! I loved seeing their passion for art and writing. It was interesting seeing them fighting for their passion and pursuing their dreams. Linh and Bao were great main characters, but we cannot ignore the side characters as well. Ally and Viet (the BFF of both the main characters) were such amazing and supporting friends! Love how helpful they are and how funny they are. It made the book that much better. The friendship in this book was spot on, but the author really shined in portraying the family dynamic. The tension between the two families was so relatable and realistic. I loved seeing both families and how they got to overcome the challenges faced. I love how strong the family bonds are.
The romance in this was very cute! Don’t get confused...this isn’t an enemies to lovers book. If I had to describe this..this is really a modern Vietnamese Romeo and Juliet retake. This is a debut book worth checking out!

This Romeo and Juliet story is literally everything perfect. The food descriptions were amazing and made me want Vietnamese food every time I picked it up. Linh and Bao were great characters, and I loved seeing them come into their own as they figured out how their love and goals could fit into their already stressful lives. The pacing was a bit off for me, but in the grand scheme of things, this book was delightful and I will definitely be rereading it.

This was a cute story but it was slow . I almost quit reading it.
It was just ok. Not something I will read again .

This book is SO cute! A story of star-crossed lovers who are from two Vietnamese families who run two rival pho shops on the opposite sides of the street, what's more to love? This story is cute, fluffy, endearing, and also manages to pack in depth and meaning. Although the main storyline is about Bảo and Linh who end up falling in love despite their families' hate for each other, the heart of the story has much more to do with growing up and family history.

Bảo and Linh are high school students who both have to figure out what they want to do after graduation. Bảo isn't quite sure of what he wants and Linh has a passion for art, which goes against her parents' wishes for her.

An underlying theme of this book is a story of Vietnamese immigrants making a new life in America and the stories they take with them. It's sad and difficult, but also hopeful. Although I am not Vietnamese, I really enjoyed this story as someone who was also born to immigrant parents. I love that it is both a fun and meaningful read.

Please see the link attached and below for my review of Loan Le’s A Pho Love Story.

https://wordsofmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/18/book-review-a-pho-love-story-book-by-loan-le/

A Pho Love Story is an adorable contemporary romance! The two feuding families will wrap you in an embrace of warm food, and hand out heaping plates of drama as their rival restaurants compete for the community’s approval. I immensely enjoyed following the two resilient teens at the centre of this feud. Linh and Bao are separated by dreams but drawn to each other by their upbringing as the kids of neighbouring restaurant owners.

Their instant chemistry and ability to bring out the best in each other creatively allows the romance elements of this story to really shine. I love how these two don’t let the bad blood between their parents dictate their feelings or relationship. They never let new revelations from their parent’s past become the reason they give up on dating. Not only does this avoid so much unnecessary drama between the two of them but it allows the far more insane family drama to be the centre focus.

I will say I had a difficult time getting into this story and there’s a point halfway through the book where all motivation to continue left me. The pacing was incredibly slow at times and it felt like the characters went off on too many tangents about their hobbies or arbitrary details. Linh and Bao spend a large part of the book separate from each other, so the motivation to root for them isn’t always there. My biggest issue was that the two alternating perspectives were too similar. If I didn’t have the name of the character at the top of the page, it would be difficult to distinguish the narrator of the chapter. It feels like their hobbies and families were the only things separating these two personalities at times.

That said, the cozy restaurant atmosphere and the promise of a love story steeped in authentic Vietnamese culture are easy to devour if you have the patience to savour the story’s slow burn.

I thought this storyline would be cute, and it was okay, but overall felt quite shallow and cliche. I really wanted to like it but the character development and overall build of the storyline didn’t feel all that compelling. I did appreciate the support and Asian American representation though — that part of the book was done quite well.

This was one of the books I was excited for this year - a teenage love story with an enemies/rivals to lovers vibe going one with parents who both own restaurants across the street from each other and don't get along! So, who Linh and Bao bump in to each other and start working together, they have to navigate their feelings while trying to make their families happy. I enjoyed that this book wasn't shy to touch on racism and family expectations as well. I did think it was a slower build for sure, and spent a lot of time establishing the families and restaurant life. I would have preferred a bit quicker of a pace with the romance, but I know it's YA so I wasn't expecting anything crazy, I just wanted to see their connection build earlier! I enjoyed it and thought it was a cute book!

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