4.5 stars

This charming YA romance exceeded my expectations in a number of ways, and I can't wait to recommend it to my students (and to you, too, Prospective Reader, if this sounds like your jam)!

Lan and Vivi are living very different existences far from each other, but their lives collide when Vivi visits Vietnam, her parents' homeland and the only home Lan has ever known. Both young women share a passion for food and culture...and ultimately each other. On the more challenging side, both are grappling with some sense of sadness around their parents, which also helps them bond in a meaningful (if melancholy) way.

There is so much to like about this. The representation is on point. While this is clearly a romance, both main characters are round and have other interests aside from just each other. Conversations about food and descriptions of the scenery and culture offer insight into a space that many readers may not have accessed previously, In conjunction with the genre, all events move toward an uplifting conclusion, but it is not a saccharine affair.

While I'd have enjoyed a bit more development of some elements of the plot, this is an enjoyable and fulfilling read overall and I look forward to experiencing more from this author.

This was such a sweet, adorable romance that also touched on some heavy topics, including grief, generational trauma, and the effects of the Vietnam War. I loved the resolution of Lan and Vivi's individual arcs; I was genuinely in tears during the last three chapters of the book. Though I'm not Vietnamese, as an Asian American, I really resonated with Vivi's struggle as someone who grew up in the diaspora and Lan's complex relationships with her parents. Both of their characters were so well written.

I also deeply admired how you could feel the author's love for Vietnamese food and culture and for Sài Gòn shine through every page. I felt like I was tagging along on Vivi's journey, experiencing the sights and sounds of the city and being immersed in Vietnamese culture.

A great read that I would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced copy. You can pick up A Banh Mi for Two on August 20, 2024.

This was such a sweet sapphic romance! I absolutely loved the way Trinity Nguyen blended her love for Sài Gòn, its food, and its culture into this story. Seeing the city from two vastly different perspectives -- someone who's always been at home here and someone looking to find her home here -- was gorgeously depicted.

I love how Lan and Vivi helped each other achieve their goals and grew closer throughout the journey. The romance and tension were so sweet, while also filled with a good dose of heartache. Nguyen didn't shy away from difficult topics like grief and family relationships, and I really appreciated the way she handled these scenarios.

The narrators did a great job immersing me in the story as well (though one's voice was a bit too high-pitched for my preference). I highly recommend listening or picking this gorgeous first edition up in stores!

Actual Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

My two problems with this book were entirely personal problems so take this with a grain of salt and then I'll move on to the good aspects of this book. First, I was not the intended audience. It was a bit too young for me. It is by no means a young book though. I'm just 27 and these girls are all 18. Ten years really puts problems into perspective. My second issue was just that I don't think I can do contemporary anymore. I just am always waiting for something more exciting to happen than the mundanity of everyday life.

Enough of my personal problems, on to the good parts. If you love food you'll love this book. It is all about Vietnamese food with a bit of culture and history as well. The audiobook narrators were great and really knew their stuff so you got the full experience with their intonation and pronunciation. Their adventures were fun and super cute. Both girls were really nuanced and interesting individuals. I liked hearing about both of their families and how different their problems were. Kind of wish the book was a bit longer but that's my only critique. Overall a fun and lighthearted read.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this audioARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up A Banh Mi for Two knowing it would be a cute, YA sapphic romance -- and being very excited about that. But what surprised me -- and turned out to be my favorite aspect of the book -- were the themes of living a hyphenated identity and searching for (re)connection to your family and your home. This book delved deep into the emotional journey that many first gen and multiracial people go through at some point in their lives. Vivi's mother never shared about her past life in Vietnam after leaving everything she knew to build a new life in the U.S. as a refugee. And as a result, Vivi grows up feeling disconnected -- never Vietnamese enough, never American enough. She makes the choice to study abroad in Saigon, her mother's hometown, in a effort to uncover her family's past and find a connection with her Vietnamese identity. With the help of Lan, she sets off to find it, and as a bonus, finds romance along the way.

The YA romance was everything I had hoped it to be, and the stories about Vivi and her mom and identity were the cherry on top of this 5 star read.

This is a delightful "clean" sapphic romance about two ~18-year-old girls falling in love over food in Saigon. Vivi is Vietnamese American and, while she's lived in Little Saigon her whole life, she knows next to nothing about the real Saigon. Her mom, who grew up in the post-Vietnam war years, refuses to talk about it, and her dad immigrated too young to know much, so she signs up for a study abroad program and spends a semester in Saigon without telling her parents.

There she meets Lan, the author of her favorite food blog. Together they explore Saigon as Lan writes an essay for contest. A local having her eyes reopened as Vivi sees the city for the first time.

Both girls experience a lot of character growth as they define new roles for themselves in their families.

This book is not only a very enjoyable story, but also a great addition to American YA literature. In the book, Vivi points out an important fact: in the US, Vietnam is often only thought of as the location of a violent and controversial war, and those thoughts still only tend to center Americans and not Vietnamese people. It was a great change of pace to read about Saigon as a vibrant, modern city full of life and delicious street food.

I listened to the audiobook and found it really enjoyable to hear the (presumably) correct pronunciations of the Vietnamese foods and names.

The book was overall cute and endearing. Loved that both main characters felt like their own person, even when they get together. I hated the third act breakup, but overall, the story was still entertaining.

While the romance was a little cheesy (I mean, of course it was! That’s kind of the point), what really made this book resonate was how both Lan and Vivi are trying to honor their parents (Lan honoring her dad’s wishes and Vivi trying desperately to understand her mom) while also learning to understand themselves and grow beyond where they’d been raised. Both of them had such believable circumstances with Vivi’s desperate search for her mother’s past overshadowed by her mother’s trauma and shame (as well as the particular perspective America has on post-war Vietnam) and Lan’s desperate need to care for her mother and be the perfect daughter.

What really struck me was how immersive the writing is: the streets, festivals, and markets of Saigon come alive on the page as Lan and Vivi weave through stalls, pet festival lions, and, of course, eat all the amazing food. Plus the particular way food is used in the story - the way each street food vendor has a story and how every meal is meant to be shared - just made each moment more special.

𝐀𝐡𝐡𝐡𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭! 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐘𝐀 𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐀 𝐁á𝐧𝐡 𝐌ì 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦 (𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒à𝐢 𝐆ò𝐧) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐫𝐭, & 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝-𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲𝐬—𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐈 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐀𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒯𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝒩𝑔𝓊𝓎𝑒𝓃, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

🧼 - squeaky clean new adult queer romance. A daughter of Vietnamese immigrants goes to study abroad in Vietnam and meets and falls for her long-time favorite food blog. The story covers family traumas and their effects on young adults' life pathways. It was cute and probably worth a read if you are a fan of YA/New Adult reads.

Tropes:
•Vacation flings
•Fish Out Of Water
•Destiny

A Bahn Me for Two" is a sweet and concise sapphic romance novel that tells the story of Vivi, a Vietnamese-American visiting Vietnam under the guise of studying abroad in Singapore, and Lan, a local resident who yearns to get out. Their differences and similarities make them a wonderful pair as they compliment each other. Vivi's mother, born in Vietnam, never spoke of her homeland. Motivated by a desire to discover her mother's roots and find any possible relatives, and to sample the delicious street food described by her favorite foodie blogger, Vivi embarks on a journey to Vietnam.

The novel masterfully explores significant themes such as colonialism, the futility of war, and the collective loss experienced by both Americans and Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. It also highlights the historical impact of French and Japanese colonialism, emphasizing the resilience of the Vietnamese people.

While the narrative lacks a central conflict or an obvious hero, it presents a nuanced and educational examination of these important issues. The narrator skillfully guides us through Vivi and Lan's gradual understanding of each other and the factors that initially kept them apart.

The narrator was excellent as she captures the heart and tears of both Vivi and Lan during their fears, struggles, and the two falling in love. Her pacing was excellent as well as her diction when speaking in the voices of some of the citizens. I had to redit that last sentence as to not give any conclusions away.

I extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an e-audio copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion. "A Bahn Me for Two" proved to be a charming and educational read, helping me gain a clearer perspective on these complex topics.