A Pho Love Story Review

A Pho Love Story 

By: Loan Le

Released: February 9th, 2021

Pages: 416 

My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis:

If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he'd say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status, unremarkable. He works at his parents' pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents' fifth favorite employee. Not ideal.

If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she's say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but fill of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they're not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family's pho restaurant. 

For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bad and Linh, who've avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.

But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember. 

Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?

My Review:

What an adorable book! This was my first young adult book, since, well, middle school, and while I was a little leery of that fact at first, it did not disappoint at all. I found Bao and Linh's relationship to be so dang cute. They were so supportive of each other and it takes you right back to those days of early days of dating someone where you are more less inseparable and want to spend 24/7 with one another just to stare googley eyed at each other.  It was such a pure and innocent romance that it leaves you feeling nothing but giddy. 

The book features a lot of Vietnamese references which I enjoyed reading about. I felt that it really set the mood of the community and all the characters well. It is definitely a culture that does not get much representation, so it was a nice breath of fresh air to finally have something to read. Family ties and heritage are major plot points in this book, and I found them to be covered well. You really got the sense just how much the parents of each family cares for their children and how they will fight to protect them no matter what the cost. That ranges from overbearingness, in some cases, to just flat out wanting to see them succeed, in others. I enjoyed being able to hear about it from both the parents side as well as Bao and Linh's. through Bao and Linh you get to learn a lot more of how their parents have struggled and also how deep their family loyalties run. 

I read a few reviews that said this book "dragged on" but I thought it was perfect. I love details and getting to know the characters through their backstories and the little off shoots with the side characters. You really get to know each character well and connect with even many of the side characters on a fairly deep level. The pacing of changing the narration between Bao and Linh ever chapter really helped things progress quickly. I do not feel like this book dragged in whatsoever, in fact I flew through this book so quickly! 

If you are looking for a light hearted, adorable romance but also a book that touches on family ties and belonging I would highly suggest picking this one up! However, please be forwarded that there is an extreme amount of food talk and you will leave it feeling hungry as ever and googling your nearest pho restaurant. 

Catch you later, 

Molly