Realistic fiction. Young adults and adults will be drawn to this story of young love, bildungsroman, family rivalry and history, and finding the right path. Growing up as a worker in your family's restaurant is already complicated but living a hidden life with hidden dreams makes it ever more difficult. Hopefully, Bao and Linh will be able to convince their families that putting aside their rivalry is best for all!

such a warm, sweet YA.

i’d you liked Tweet Cute then i’m sure you’ll like a pho love story. two families own their own restaurants...across the streets from each other, and the rivalry is SERIOUS. but is the rivalry entirely detached and revolving only on their recipes and sales? or does it go deeper than that?

bao and linh are sweet, they gave me the loveliest of feels & the descriptions of Vietnamese food made me hungry, and wee perfect descriptors on the chilly nights i read by the the christmas tree.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I’ve been screaming about this book for literal years. I’ve been so hyped for it for so long, and when I finally got the chance to read an ARC, I dropped everything for it! A Pho Love Story was the Vietnamese-American contemporary that I’ve been waiting for, with a cute romance and complex family histories.

Linh is an aspiring artist who knows her parents would be disappointed by her choice of career. Meanwhile, Bao doesn’t yet know what he wants to do despite college being on the horizon. Their families own rival pho restaurants; however, there seems to be a darker history underlying their rivalry. Thus, Linh and Bao haven’t really interacted despite having met and going to the same school, but one day, they’re partnered up to write pieces for their newspaper on restaurants that would be good date spots.

Overall, the story was very cute. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a romantic comedy, though, because it deals with some fairly heavy trauma (which I’ll touch on later).

I liked the characters; Linh and Bao are such well-written protagonists, and you really understand their dreams and desires. The side characters were great too. Linh’s best friend, Allison, is ambitious and meddling and essentially the reason why they start to like each other. Bao’s best friend, Viet, is also dependable and supportive and loves crime shows. We also see a lot of Linh’s and Bao’s parents, which is fairly abnormal for YA novels.

The romance was cute! I do want to clarify that this book isn’t a hate-to-love story; instead, Linh and Bao click from the very beginning. Rather, their relationship lies more on the forbidden side because their families hate each other so much.

My favorite aspect of this book, however, is the Vietnamese-American representation. I loved seeing Vietnamese culture sprinkled throughout the book, even just the little things like the food and mentions of Paris by Night blaring in the background at all times (if you know, you know).

Also, it was nice seeing the Vietnamese phrases throughout the book! Honestly, I laughed a bit when I read “trời ơi” written.

I will be honest and say that this book was fairly similar to other typical Asian-American stories with protagonists who want to pursue an arts career despite their parents’ disapproval, so that aspect of the story wasn’t necessarily new…and honestly, I’m a little over it simply because I never had to go through that but that’s just me.

However, I really liked how this book made this situation more specific to a Vietnamese-American experience in that many people of Vietnamese descent and of my generation (speaking broadly) have parents who are refugees from the Vietnam War. There’s a lot of trauma there, obviously, and has led them to want stable lives for their children, especially financially. Obviously, this is applicable for many other Asian Americans, but it was just so fascinating for me to read it from a singularly Vietnamese-American lens, which again, I haven’t really seen in a YA contemporary.

Also, this trauma from the war is very up-front and is the reason why I said this book isn’t a romantic comedy. Linh’s and Bao’s parents’ stories of their life in Vietnam are an integral part of the book. I won’t say it’s super heavy; it’s just that this book wasn’t as light as I was expecting, not that that’s a bad thing; I just want to clarify this for other people.

So again, a lot of people of Vietnamese descent in my generation have parents who are refugees, who fled from their homeland and have had to build up their life in other countries. This was something that is so specific to Vietnamese diaspora (again, speaking broadly and not only for Vietnam) that I didn’t even know it was something I wanted to see in a book until I read it. I just related to this so much more than when I’ve been reading East-Asian-American stories over the past ten years, so I really appreciated being able to read this book.

A Pho Love Story had some adorable moments but also explored heavier issues, such as familial trauma. It intertwined so many great aspects of Vietnamese culture throughout the story, and I also really enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. I definitely recommend A Pho Love Story if you like Gloria Chao’s books!

Very cute Romeo and Juliet inspired romcom based upon two rival pho restaurants. First off, yes I was compelled to eat pho, but due to the pandemic had to make do with my hubby’s home made ramen (not suffering!) I was drawn to the two protagonists and the mysterious storyline of why the two families disliked each other so much; however, the supporting cast fell flat and was stereotypical. The feud seemed unrealistic. The book suffered from poor editing coming in at a whopping 400+ pages which was too much for not enough development. There was some good stuff here and I think some of my students will enjoy the book. Personally, I think there is so much more potential.

This was a really cute (happy) Romeo and Juliet romance. The two main characters, Linh and Bao, have parents who own rival Pho restaurants. Each has been told how terrible the other family is, so Linh and Bao have never really talked to each despite their parents' restaurants literally being across the street from each other. One day, all that changes. Will their friendship (and romance) overcome their parents' rivalry? What started the rivalry in the first place? This is a really sweet story, and although I've never had Pho, it made me hungry as I read it because there is a lot of food in it!

See my private note to the publisher. The book sounded interesting and Vietnamese Americans are underrepresented in YA lit, but I couldn't stand to read it because of NetGalley's inferior app. Please offer it on Kindle and I will gladly finish the book and give it an honest review.

Words have power and the story of the past needs to be told. For the children of rival restaurants, communication has been off-limits, but when Bao sees Linh in the weeds on Pho Day, he heads across the street to help out. Soon their paths are crossing and friends help to get them together. And by being together they might be lying to their families, but they're discovering themselves. But lies must be addressed, both from the present and the past. They must find out why their families are such terrible rivals.
Within the process of discovery, we learn about what it means to be a Vietnamese American. How the rules of one world have blended with the customs of another. The story is beautifully crafted and highlights the relatable experiences of first-generation Americans.

The desciption says When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious but I like to think of it as Romeo and Julie meets Restaurant Wars. :-) Bao and Linh live across the street from each other and their parents own competing Vietnamese restaurants. They aren't supposed to look at each and talk to each other let alone fall in love. A nice rom-com for teens.

This one was just not to my taste. I felt like many of the characters were overly stereotypical and the pacing was uneven -- sometimes the story felt too long, while specific scenes felt rushed. The level of dislike between the families felt unreasonable. I get the tie to Romeo & Juliet, but making the families hate one another so much felt forced.

Received received an ARC from netgalley for an honest opinion.

I like the idea of this book, but not so much the execution. The characters were good, and I liked that it was based on Romeo and Juliet, and was happy that no one died at the end. Maybe there was just too much, it could have been shorter and I think would have been better.

Asian representation + Romeo and Juliet + delectable food = *chef’s kiss* (why do we not have a gif for that?)

This ya contemporary romance was perfectly sweet and romantic, with the right amount of dashes of spice and drama.

It’s a modern retelling of the tragic Romeo and Juliet, so you know there’s going to be family rivalry, but thank goodness it’s modern so there’s no, uh, well, tragic ending 😅

Since this book is about fighting between two family-owned restaurants, it reminds me of the movie Pizza My Heart, please tell me someone has seen this movie!

Now let’s get to what I loved about this story. First off, the food. This book made me hungry and made me want to go to all the Vietnamese restaurants and get some pho! The food was described so detailed and deliciously. But one thing I loved is that even though pho is the two main character’s lives, it isn’t everything. They have their own dreams they want to pursue, and part of this novel is their discovery of what they want and helping their parents understand them.

Next, the romance. You could say this is an enemies to lovers story, but Bao and Linh are only enemies by default. For their whole lives, their families have hated eachother. But Linh and Bao never actually hated eachother. When they first really meet, it starts off a little rocky, but it soon blossoms into a beautiful friendship that turns into something more. They were so sweet together, and just fit perfectly with the other.

The family dynamics between the parents who fled their country and came to the US and their children who never knew these traumatic times was well done and made me invested in the story. I wanted to know why there was such a deep seeded feeling of hate.

The ending, with the resolving of all the different issues (the restaurant rivalry, the parent/child tension, the forbidden romance) was perfect and gave me all the warm fuzzies. I can’t wait to see what Loan He has in store next!

If you love sweet ya romances, then you need to check this book out!

I wanted more food and food references in this book!
So we are greeted with our two Vietnamese teens, Bao and Linh. They are not supposed to talk to each other or be friends. They met as kids and then were separated by their families, as there is a long standing feud going on between them. We find out along the way that the feud doesn't actually have to do with the family pho restaurants.

Bao is such a great character as we see him grow as he and Lihn become closer! He isn't sure what he wants to do with his life, but with Lihn it makes him more focused to get her to see her potential and by doing that he is learning his. Linh's situation is different. She doesn't want to do exactly what her sister as has done, she loves art. She only sees it as a hobby though until Bao really pushes her to see what she is capable of.

I loved the diversity in this book and the look at the two different families.
A fun read, but I wanted more food and maybe even some recipes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Unfortunately, due to this title not being available for Kindle, I will not be able to read the e-copy provided by the publisher. I do not have another device that supports the Netgalley Shelf App required for reading this. I do look forward to reading this book when it is published. Thank you.

" Two households, both alike in dignity. . ."
That is the beginning of the prologue for Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Luckily, this YA rom com is not a tragedy, but the elements of long-seated family feuding, family secrets and a hidden relationship are in this new novel coming out in February of 2021.

Two Vietnamese American teens, Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai know that they are not to talk to each other. It was made clear one day at temple when the two young kids happened to connect and start playing. When the parents found out, they were quickly separated, and now in high school, they have not had any classes together and they do not share the same friends.

But what they do have in common is that both teens work for their family pho restaurant across the street from each other. They at first believe that this is perhaps the source of the bitter feud, but when Bao finds Linh distraught in the alley behind her restaurant one night, he cannot turn away. Cue the music - their lives were changed.

The readers are brought into the mystery along with Bao and Linh who soon realize that the family feud has nothing to do with the restaurant and more to do with something that happened between the two families in Vietnam.

My thoughts:
Although pho is in the title, it is not the foodie book that I hoped it would be. There were some references to certain dishes that I would have liked more information about. I also would have liked some recipes at the end, but again, this is not that kind of book.

What I really like is the character of Bao who, before he gets to know Linh, is really kind of rudderless. He is an Asian student who does ok to get by, but does not really have a plan in mind for college and beyond. His parents also do not seem to put a lot of pressure on him to do well. He is ok to just skate by. But once he gets involved with Linh, he seems to find purpose in getting her to see her purpose. He suddenly becomes a community activist of sorts, and at least an advocate for Linh and her potential.

Linh's situation is very different. She is the second daughter and follows her elder sister who fits into the expected mold of smart, obedient older sister at a good college, pursuing an acceptable degree (that leads to a good job). Linh is different because she wants to do art. Others know she is a great artist but she does not see this as a possibility beyond one of being a hobby.

Similar books that cover culture, cultural norms, filial piety, cutesy rom com:
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (any of her books)
Natalie Tan's Book of Love and Fortune by Roselle Lim

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from @NetGalley.

The protagonists are Vietnamese and this is an enemies to lovers trope. Perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon. I adored this book and I don't want to give away anything but if you're a fan of rom-coms then this is for you!

I absolutely adore this charming star-crossed love story of teens from competing pho restaurants. I kept whipping through the pages, and loved the main characters, Linh and Bao, so much. The characters are so richly drawn, and their family relationships, and the balance between their dreams and their parents' dreams for them completely captivated me. Loan Le is a wonderful writer, and I'd love to read more from her.

I will try my best not to write this review for this phonomenal book without a pho pun. Okay never mind.

A PHO LOVE STORY follows Linh Mai and Bao Nguyen’s unexpected romance since their families work at competing pho restaurants. As they meet in secret, they begin to discover that their families’ rivalry runs deeper than the line of customers on 2-for-1 Pho Day. There are so many things to love about this book. Linh and Bao’s romance is so precious with their stolen moments. Not only do they have their families’ feud to contend with, they have individual concerns about their career interests (or lack thereof in Bao’s case) and how they approach that with their parents. Their interactions with their family and community at large—how they negotiate time away from the restaurant, their individual conversations with their parents, family gatherings—all evoked scenes from my life. There were so many moments I squealed in delight at the recognition of these familiar smells, places, and feelings. In particular, the author weaves in Linh and Bao’s parents’ refugee experience so seamlessly and the intergenerational effects on Linh and Bao’s worldview. I imagine some people might take issue with the Vietnamese phrases. As someone who knows only a handful of Vietnamese phrases, I didn’t think it was too difficult to gather the meaning from the context. If I must offer some sort of criticism, it’s that fans of typical romcom tropes won’t find them here. Instead, they’ll find a sweet secret romance for a couple you want to root for.