This book was a delight from start to finish. On one level, it's a fun rom com that takes you on a journey of discovery through Sài Gòn, filled with cute street food dates and romantic moped rides. And at the same time it's a layered story about growing up, making sense of the traumas of the past, about the things that are too painful to say to the people you love, and about balancing what you owe your family and what you owe yourself. The diaspora feelings were so relatable and well handled, and the final scene made me tear up. Can't wait to see more from this author.

Lan is so much braver than I am, because if I ran a blog and one of my readers found me and tried to become my friend, I would file a restraining order. Good thing she didn’t, because then they fell in love :’)

What really gets me about this book isn’t even the romance, though, it’s the family drama. Any time I read anything about a girl finally understanding her mom’s past… there go the waterworks. What a fantastic book; Trinity is truly an incredible writer, and I promise I’m not just saying this because we know each other.

a charming romance not just about first love but also diasporic grief, vietnamese food, and the city of saigon. i loved reading all about the food and culture and really immersed myself in vietnam.

This is at the same time a cheesy cute romance, a love letter to Viet food and life found in the messy vibrant textures of a city, and also such a poignant coming-of-age about two girls helping each other fall in love with Sai Gon and each other while also finding themselves. I kicked my feet and then I cried.