*A Bánh Mì for Two* feels like a love letter to Saigon and a hug for children of immigrants who struggle to find a place where they truly belong. The heart of the book lies in the two main characters, Vivi and Lan, whose individual qualities really made this story stand out. Vivi's bravery and determination were inspiring, while Lan's strength was admirable. The way they complemented each other so perfectly was incredibly sweet.

The third-act breakup was a bit predictable from the moment they met, but given that this is a short and sweet YA story, I wasn’t too upset by it. The Vietnam setting was another highlight for me. I loved experiencing the city through the eyes of both someone who has never been and someone who has known nothing else. Each perspective was distinct, and it has even inspired me to look at my own surroundings with a fresh perspective.

That said, I did find myself a bit bored at times. Vivi's quest to locate her mom’s family— with nothing but decades-old photographs in a city of 10 million— felt a little too easy. Throughout the book, Vivi spends nearly all her time with Lan, and we don’t really see her interacting with the best friend she came with or forming connections with other students. I honestly kept forgetting she was supposed to be there for school. There were also moments that seemed more focused on vibes (like the rainstorm motorbike scene) rather than further developing the characters. Those could’ve been better spent exploring their personalities or deepening their relationships.

Overall, *A Bánh Mì for Two* offers a heartfelt and immersive journey, but its pacing and character exploration left me wanting a bit more.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I received this book through a giveaway hosted by Fierce Reads.

What a lovely queer romance! I loved reading about the developing romance between Vivi and Lan. I also liked hearing about both characters’ family relationships and how those changed.

The cutest 😭♥️♥️♥️ Love them so baddddd. Don’t really read YA romance but had to give this a try and I’m so glad I did. They’re everything to me

This cute little book was so good! It had so much information about Saigon and Vietnam. The descriptions of the food in the street stalls made me hungry just reading about them. I enjoyed the relationships between the family members and the girls in the book. It was fun to see how Lan and Vivi's relationship grew and progressed and the effect it had on those around them and in their families. I loved learning about Vietnamese history and landmarks in Saigon and District 2. I would really enjoy a book 2, I'd love to know what happens next!

I DNF'd this 20% in.
I couldn't get over all the forced coincidences and the characters' cookie cutter personalities.

This was an adorable book about two people from different worlds coming together. It is dripping with familial drama and expectations.

This is by far the cutes book I've read all year! I love the setting in Sai Gon, Viet Nam and I loved Lan and Vivi's relationship so much!

When the world feels like it's too much, you just want to read a book that feels like a hug. A Banh Mi for Two was that book for me. I loved exploring Saigon with these characters and it reminded me of my own study abroad experience.

Representation: Sapphic MCs, large portion set in Sài Gòn. One MC is Vietnamese, the other is Vietnamese-American

Rating: 4/5 An adorable story about two girls connecting through food and the blog that one of them writes, I really enjoyed learning more about Sài Gòn through the eyes of both a local and a visitor who has ancestry there. I kept shaking my head at the audacity of Vivi to lie to her parents and go to Sài Gòn rather than Singapore, but I would be frustrated by the lack of answers and knowledge about my parents’ past too. I liked that the feelings between Vivi and Lan developed slowly over time and wasn’t insta-love, even though they’re teenagers. I especially loved the parts when Lan was showing her city to Vivi, helping her learn more about her heritage and finding her family. I also like how supportive Vivi was of the blog and business run by Lan, very encouraging despite having no real stakes in what happens to them. This was a wonderful story about family, ancestry/heritage, and support.

This was the sweetest and most cozy romance story I have read in awhile. Nguyen manages to make Lan and Vivi have the best vacation ever while reconnecting with their culture. It is just a heartwarming story with some heartfelt moments.

A sweet, fluff-lined story of finding yourself in Saigon, starring a food blogger Saigon-native and a Vietnamese-American study abroad student trying to trace her family's roots. This book will make you hungry and eager to take your own trip to Vietnam.

I had trouble connecting with the characters and believing in the flames of their budding romance (thus, the three star rating) but I admit I might just not have been in the mood for a lighthearted story. This book manages to diligently tackle the very real, very hard to sit with reality of post-war Vietnam while not sacrificing the overall cheerful vibe of the book, which deserves commendation. That's a difficult balance to strike and this book does just that.

A perfectly detailed and cheerful read for YA romance devotees or anyone looking for a heartfelt YA contemporary centered around family and food.

3.5/5 This book was so sweet and romantic. I loved reading about Vietnamese food and how deeply connected Lan and Vivi felt to their cultures. Family conflict is biiiig in this book and I feel like it was handled with care. I think this is perfect for queer/sapphic young adult readers!

A Bánh Mì for Two is about Vivi who tells her parents that she’ll be studying abroad in Singapore while she’s actually in Việt Nam, trying to figure out the mystery behind why her parents never talk about Vietnam, and the rest of their family there.

Vivi crosses paths with a food blogger she’s a fan of, Lan. Lan is stuck between her duty to her family and her actual passion after the loss of her dad. She’s trying to navigate her grief and obligations but pushing away anything and anyone else.

This was a cute sapphic book rich in culture, identity and food. If you don’t mind insta-love and want an approachable and heartwarming but at times difficult story about family, immigration and grief, give this a read! I think it’d be an especially good read for a younger audience.

I sadly was not able to buy into this premise or romance. I also found that it dragged at places making it a slow read for me. The book first gave me a pause when we find out that Vivi is lying to her parents about where she is studying, then the two main characters meet, and the immediate attraction, trust and getting so wholly involved in each other’s lives after knowing one another for a few days took me out further. By the time Vivi, someone who has no writing experience was giving writing tips to Lan, a successful blogger, and calling it “our” writing, I was already rolling my eyes.

What I did really enjoy and appreciate reading about was the detailed Vietnamese culture, history and especially food. I loved reading about their trips through various Sai Gon neighborhoods, and how their love for the city as a native and a newbie created an interesting contrast. Many other reviewers have mentioned how it’s like a love letter to Sai Gon and I can absolutely see that, it made me wanna go and visit.

What else I liked:
+ Vivi’s inner thoughts around identity, belonging, especially as a first generation immigrant.
+ Vivi’s family story and how that whole story unraveled and resolved. I feel like this would have been a more compelling read as a straight up family drama with the same two characters. Since Lan’s inner struggles with her family was also very well handled.

What else I disliked:
- The wholly unnecessary third act breakup and the too quick resolution after.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Children’s, Henry Holt and NetGalley for the ARC!

A tasty sapphic romcom set in Sài Gòn, featuring a Vietnamese-American tourist seeking her roots, and a a young food blogger trying to figure out her future. Delicious and entertaining-- a satisfying offering with lots of appeal. Readers will enjoy the descriptions of food, the exploration of an oft-underutilized setting, and the relatable characters.

Vivi is a Vietnamese American girl, who is desperate to learn about her family history and expand her world beyond just her home in the US. Lan is a Vietnamese girl who helps run her father’s is bánh mì stand and writes a food blog on the side. When their paths cross, they start to learn more about themselves, and what they want from life.
I thought the characters were well fleshed out though the side characters were a bit one note, and I forgot who some of them were. This book perfectly captures the feeling of young love while trying to find your path in this world. I loved Vivi and Lan, and I love them. Even more. When they were together. The added side story of finding Vivi’s family added a little bit more of conflict to the story, which I appreciated as it highlighted the history of Vietnam in a realistic way. Lan’s story was also pretty good. I don’t think it was a strong as Vivi’s but it was a story on grief, and trying to figure out what you owe the dead and your family. Overall, this was a really sweet story, perfect for someone looking for a sweet, cozy read.

A fun read with interesting things to say about grief, family, and the immigrant experience. Despite enjoying the themes, I had trouble really getting engaged with the actual plot and characters, and the major conflicts seemed to resolve a little too simply and easily right at the end. Despite that, Nguyen painted a beautiful portrait of Sài Gòn, and this would have great appeal for teens.

I think it is a good book that people may like. It includes multiple perspectives giving the reading an interesting view to the story. This addition makes the story more interesting. The book contains a few twists and turns but not as many as I would have liked. For example, Lan says she looks at Vivi like another tourist after everything they had been through in such a small amount of time. I think that the way both of the main characters envy each other’s life styles makes for a funny irony. Lan wishes she could roam the globe and Vivi wants to live in Vietnam. The differences between the two characters are amplified through the development of their relationship. All these factors make for a fun book to read.

I loved this book so much. Not only was it so cute and adorable but it also taught me so much about Vietnam. I love how this book includes so much culture and food in the vietnamese culture. I felt like I learned so much while also enjoying a cute story. I was really happy with the ending and think the author really did a great job with this book!

A Bánh Mì for Two, by Trinity Nguyen, is an adorable sapphic YA, set in Vietnam. Two foodies, Vietnamese-American Vivi and Saigon native Lan, spend Vivi’s study-abroad semester eating delicious street food together and falling in love.

This entire book is vibes and setting, not plot, and the vibes are great. Young love, an exciting city, and loads of delicious street food, all good. There are off-camera family secrets from the start, but that’s not the main feeling of this YA novel. It’s about hopping on a motorbike with your crush and going off to eat something new and great.

Lan works at her family’s food stall and writes a food blog, also called A Banh Mi For Two. Although it’s a wildly popular food blog — so popular that Vivi reads it in the US — Lan has been preoccupied and not updating it. She has a shot at a prestigious writing contest, but feels like ditching the food stall is also ditching her family, and she doesn’t feel like want to even enter the contest. (Yes, just roll with that, at no point does it feel like Lan will really drop the blog and contest.)

Meanwhile, Vivi applied for a study abroad program in Vietnam, convinced her bestie to do it too, got both sets of their parents to sign on, while convincing them all that the program is in Indonesia, and any Vietnamese background sound is just a Vietnamese-language soap opera on TV. Look, the book’s all about the vibes, ok?

There are serious elements of family struggles for both girls. Lan and her mother are coping with the recent death of her dad, and Vivi’s main reason to come to Vietnam is uncovering her mother’s secret story of why and how she left Vietnam. These added some depth to the romantic lead characters, but somehow the more serious storylines didn’t really have tension for me. I knew in a warm YA romance like this, Vivi would learn more and come to understand her mother better. (Another recent read, Mai Nguyen’s Sunshine Nails, had similar references in the narrative to the parents’ experiences fleeing atrocities in Vietnam, before returning to the main family-comedy storyline.) Same for Lan’s struggles with her family responsibilities, it’s always clear to readers, if not to Lan herself, that there’s a way to balance both.

Some of the resolutions are slightly facile and slightly obvious (it never crossed my mind that Lan would really quit food blogging) but remember, this book is all about study-abroad romance vibes and amazing international foods! It’s a fun young-love adventure! Enjoy the sweet romance all around the food stalls in A Banh Mi For Two.

If you are looking for a sweet and sizzling summer romance to end your summer on a high note, A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen is a sweet romance between a Vietnamese American college student and a food blogger in Sài Gòn who is looking for her inspiration again after the death of her father. I would like to thank MacMillan for providing the Lesbrary with an ARC—A Bánh Mì for Two comes out on August 20th. I greatly enjoyed this novel; the romance is sweet, and both characters have interesting arcs as they struggle to deal with what becoming an adult means in terms of dealing with family and making big choices for themselves. Plus, I learned about street food in Sài Gòn and got very hungry in the process!

The romance takes place between Lan, a girl who currently helps run with family bánh mì stand with her mother and cousin, and Vivi, an American college student in Sài Gòn for a semester abroad. Vivi has told her parents she’s studying in Singapore, but in reality has come to see if she can track down the family history her mother refuses to speak about. As a bonus, she hopes to visit the places that her absolute favorite food blog has written about before they went on a long hiatus. Lan is helping her mother with their stand after the death of her father—she had had aspirations of going to college and being a writer, having enjoyed the popularity of the food blog she had started with the help of her father, but has felt both adrift and drowning under the weight of family expectations. A chance encounter in a park connects the two girls. Vivi, upon realizing that Lan is her favorite food writer, is excited, a little starstruck, and determined to help her find her writing inspiration again; Lan realizes that her deep roots in Sài Gòn could be what Vivi needs to discover her family’s past. As they spend more time together, they grow closer, they begin to realize that this may be more than a summer friendship.

I thought the romance between Lan and Vivi was very cute. Both girls, after a rocky start, are smitten with each other. Through Vivi’s eyes, Lan once again falls in love with her home city and her passions, and through Lan, Vivi is inspired to be bold and reach for what she wants. Both girls inspire and help each other and their feelings grow from that. If you are looking for some sweet first love, this is the place—even their first fight is barely worth the name, and they’re soon back to being joined at the hip.

Besides being a cute romance, this book also has a lot to say about growing up and figuring out how to deal with your family as a newly-fledged adult. Although they come from very different backgrounds and life experiences, Lan and Vivi are both at the same stage of life, where they are technically grown but still trying to figure out how to make their life their own. For Vivi, this study abroad experience is her chance specifically to make decisions that her parents wouldn’t approve of. Lan, on the other hand, is having trouble not taking all her family’s problems on herself, even when they urge her to live her own life. Throw in Vivi’s hidden family history, and there’s a lot for the girls to deal with on top of their burgeoning romance, but it is, in my opinion, the meat of the story.

All in all, A Bánh Mì for Two is a cute romance that successful drew me into a wonderful mood and distracted me from the simmering summer heat. I would again like to thank the publisher for the ARC. A Bánh Mì for Two comes out tomorrow, and I absolutely recommend it if you are looking for a cute summer romance to round out your summer.