A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
Release Date: 02/09/2021
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
416 Pages


With the temperature dropping and us all still being in quarantine, this winter season we are all in need of finding something to keep us warm and cozy. Well look no further because A Pho Love Story by Loan Le will keep you snuggled under the blankets all day!

A Pho Love Story is about highschoolers Bao Nyguen and Linh Mai whose families are rivals due to their competing Pho restaurants that are across the street from one another. Because of this rivalry, Bao and Linh never had a chance to interact and nevertheless be friends. Their only memory is from a trip to the Temple as children. However, everything changes when Bao shows up to help Linh and from then on the two can’t seem to be separated. This is a story of love, family, and growth which may be the first novel for Loan Le, but will certainly not be the last.

One of the things I particularly love about this book is that the characters never feel shallow and even minor characters go through their own development. In romance novels, some authors make their characters one dimensional and driven only by their attraction to the other individual. In A Pho Love Story, Loan Le gives us two main characters who have passions and goals ,even if it takes Bao a little while ;) . While the text does explore Bao and Linh’s relationship, it also dives into their own personal growth as teens in the 21st century. Where Le shines the most is her writing of the families and their history in both Vietnam and the U.S. I was blown away by the depth of the history involved in this story and I won’t spoil it, but that history comes to play in Bao and Linh’s relationship. I kinda want a spin-off story to know more about these characters and relationships. 👀

The easiest text to compare this to is Romeo and Juliet and those types of stories. While this is true, these books have so much more to explore than Shakespeare (sorry dude). I would honestly love to see this in a school curriculum either compared to R+J or used as a choice read for literature circles/ book clubs. Ya know- especially around Valentines Day. There are so many students will be able to connect because the texts actually discuss modern day issues and are packed with contemporary references. This will be a book FLYING off the shelf in a library. So if I haven’t convinced you yet, I believe this book has so much to offer about history, social dynamics, family structures, love and racism. So now click that link below and preorder!!

-Much Thanks to Netgalley with providing me this eArc in exchange for a honest and transparent review.

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.

An exciting and moving tale of family, friendship, and love. Fans of When Dimple Met Rishi will adore this lively story. YA readers will relate to Linh and Bao and will keep turning the page the uncover the mystery of their families’ feud. Highly recommended.

You need to read this book!!! Between the rivalry of families, forbidden love, amazing food, and the love of two high schoolers, this book has it all! I devoured this book and want more! I could read about Bao and Linh forever and never get enough. These are two teens who are trying to figure out who they are and happened to find love along the way. They both have pressure from their families and are trying to help in their families rival restaurants! They are two incredible main characters that you will fall in love with. This book is amazing Vietnamese representation and you get to feel so much love that they have for their culture and their family. I loved learning about their history. Also the food!! I am hungry after reading this!!

If you liked Tweet Cute, I think you will LOVE this one!

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the eARC of this novel to review. A Pho Love Story is modern update of Romeo & Juliet. The characters are well-defined & the plot is engaging. Linh & Bao’s families have competing Pho restaurants across the street from each other & have a long-lasting hatred for one another. Everything is complicated once Linh & Bai begin to get to know each other & find something special. Will they be able to end the feud & be together, or will their families’ hatred keep them apart? The novel was very sweet & the plot had twists to keep the reader engaged. I recommend this a fun, YA romance.

Linh and Bao grow up among the delicious scents and smells of their families’ Vietnamese restaurants— but also their parents’ high expectations and intense rivalry. As the kids juggle their familial duties, they also tempt fate by spending more time together and secretly pursuing their passions for art and writing. When xenophobia hits Little Saigon, how can this unlikely pair fight back against prejudice?

From the powerful emotions, sweeping artistic moments, and restaurant tours throughout the book, I highly recommend this read! I can see many teens enjoying this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Here, Linh and Bao are both Vietnamese American teens who'll fall in love amidst their families longstanding feud and competing pho restaurants. Bao is described as a quite average, yet handsome teen, whilst Linh, well, she's quite the firecracker and an aspiring artist. To me, this already feels quite 'When Dimple Met Rishi'-esque. The teens both work part-time in the parents' neighboring pho restaurants, who are age-old competitors of one another. So much so, in fact, that these two are barred from speaking ever since the age of 5 or so. A chance encounter, aka a moment of chivalry, brings these two together and despite their and their families' best efforts, there are sparks amuck. It sounded like such an engaging premise and a fun YA read based on the summary, plus it is always lovely to see diversity in the genre more. It's told in back-and-forth dual viewpoints as their slow-burn love story develops. It was a fine read, just fine, especially after its lengthy exposition. In my opinion, Bao's sides were far more captivating and engaging to follow. He seemed to be a more fully formed character with more quippy, witty lines. It was definitely more of a challenge for me to get interested and invested in, but once further details about a family secret and history develop, there's such a compelling storytelling aspect that I just demanded to know what was to happen next.

I enjoyed this romeo-juliet type retelling that centers around an intense restaurant rivalry. The final reveal definitely threw me for a loop; I was not expecting that! The way that he families eventually resolve their bitterness was really inspiring and gave the story an optimistic note even though it focuses on the struggles of the respective families. This book gives a great insight into the lives of second-generation immigrants, and the unique push and pull between the modern and traditional lifestyles. I think that there could have been some translations within the text about what the Vietnamese words meant; it was a little tough to find the meanings using context clues.
I also felt like the two main characters lacked depth. Bao and Linh felt like hazy caricatures and nothing more. I genuinely found their respective best friends, Viet and Ali, to be a lot more fleshed out.
Overall, though, this was a sweet story!

This was a lovely book! I enjoyed it so much. But it made me very hungry for pho! It’s such a sweet and beautiful book!

I will pretty much jump at any chance to read a book written with and for the Vietnamese American experience and A Pho Love Story is no exception. This romantic comedy is a cute twist on the Romeo & Juliet trope - if Romeo and Juliet were Vietnamese American young adults whose parents own rival restaurants. The story is really sweet, with a solid combination of heart, humor, and serious issues.

This is the exact story that I would have loved to have growing up, especially during my middle and high school years. The representation of the Vietnamese family experience and community is on point. I know so many 'Bao's and 'Linh's and Loan Le's portrayal of filial piety was fairly accurate - especially from the perspective of a teenager. As I'm older now, I'm also able to empathize with the Nguyen and Mai parents at the same time. Bao and LInh's romance was sweet and the conflict was just angsty enough for what I'd expect from young adult fiction.

Living more than a 10 hour drive from my parents now, Le's descriptions of the food made me miss my mother's cooking so much. This was another book to inspire me to head out to my Asian grocery.

A cute YA romance story that incorporates Vietnamese culture. As someone who lived in Vietnam (but is not Vietnamese), I loved the references and the frequent phrases and sentences in Vietnamese. This own voices book is important for Vietnamese-American teens representation. The story was predictable and the writing a bit simplistic, but it was still enjoyable!

If my teens want a cute romance I would be sure to hand them a diverse one. If your library purchases simple teen romances for your collection then there's no reason not to include this one.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

A Pho Love Story is a great contemporary romance that has a new take on the Romeo and Juliet storyline. I will say that this book was difficult for me to get through. I think that's a little more personal preference than anything. I liked Linh and Bao and how they dealt with their family's dislike of each other. They were easy characters to relate to in the idea of being a teenager who hasn't figured out their future. I also enjoyed their parents! I could see where they were coming from and why a feud had begun between the two families. The multilingual aspects of the book sang beautifully and I was able to grasp the meaning behind what was being said.

One of the things that didn't quite work for me personally was the length. While I'm sure everything was necessary to tell the story, I felt myself falling in and out of what was happening and I felt like I could already see the outcome. That's mere personal preference though. I know that I have students who would like the familiarity of knowing what comes next. It's a well written love story that is bound to get fans for it's love of food, culture, and storyline.

I loved this love story. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I highly recommend reading it.

I was torn between three and four stars for this novel. I was really happy with the characterization, the Vietnamese-American representation, and the love story at the heart of the text, but I often found myself thinking that this book may be a touch too long. I have nothing against “long” stories, but this one feels just a bit padded in the middle, which lessens the impact. Still, I couldn’t help but be drawn in to this novel, and what it does well it does really well. If you do pick this one up, just be warned that it is a bit of a slog in the middle.

I enjoyed this immersion into another culture. The story's alternating viewpoints add a nice dimension to the exploration of the romance and the families' feud. A very enjoyable read!

I really enjoyed this book and not just for the representation. I would have liked maybe some footnotes that explained how to pronounce some of the phrases and what they mean (I'm imagining it a bit like how it's done in Crazy Rich Asians). I love the opportunity for deeper understanding.

This is a nice story about family, traditions and the history which they come from, friendship, and love. I want to say it starts off cute but that would take away from the beauty of a story that has many layers. Loan Le does a beautiful job writing a tale of friendship, love, and family. Bao is smitten with his classmate Linh, who although their families are from the same country their parents have different views on life. As we follow what is considered to be a typical high school friendship/crush, we learn about family traditions and wanting to be loyal but ready to break away from some of those traditions; wanting to enjoy being a teen. I recommend this great read about being a teenager and navigating life because of familial traditions and culture norms, but also a good love story of opposites attracting.