The story follows Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai, two Vietnamese- American teenagers and sworn enemies mostly because of their families’ restaurant rivalry. They’ve spent years avoiding one another until a chance encounters brings them both together.

What starts as friendship soon develops into stronger feelings but,Bao and Linh know their parents would never approve.

A Contemporary and humorous take on Romeo and Juliet (without the tragic ending), a coming of age story of first loves,feuding families and a complicated past. Amongst the humour and romance,Loan Le also manages to highlight important issues such as racism and the long term impact war can have on refugees,even decades later.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between Bao and Linh but as the story progressed I found myself more invested in their parents and the history of their family feud. The racist incident was so heartbreaking but how the characters eventually dealt with it was moving and, I admit- made me tear up a little.There were times that the pacing was slow and dragged a little but,overall it was a really enjoyable read.

I also just wanted to thank Simon & Schuster UK and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

I just couldn't get along with this book. It felt like it was taking me a long time to get through each chapter and I don't think they were even that long. I get the feeling that maybe I'd have enjoyed it a little more in audio form.

I didn't really get along with the characters. In the beginning Bao just seemed lazy and Linh has dreams but was a little wimpy. And though there's growth it just wasn't enough for me.

I will say though. I really want some pho now.

I was hoping this would be along the lines of To All The Boys I've Loved Before meets Romeo and Juliet but I struggled too much with the writing style and language to get much further than the first few chapters.

The idea is great but it just wasn't for me

I can’t decide if this is a 4 or 4.5 Stars.

All I know is that I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great contemporary book that also includes a look at racism and also at the struggles of families, past and present. This book, whilst quite sweet and cute, it also really makes you think at times.

The writing was done well, it was fast paced and I liked the dual perspectives. I did really enjoy it and I genuinely can’t think of any complaints or issues that I had with it!

What a story!
I knew from the very beginning that I wanted tor ead this book. First because of the title. As a huge Pho lover and romance reader, we were meant to be. Then, because unfortunately have very few vietnamese YA rep. Finally, because look at this cover? Honestly it's so pretty!

A pho love story was a light yet important read. Bao and Linh are sworn enemies because of an old story between their parents. When Linh's parents open a restaurant right in front of the restaurant of Bao's family, things become even more electric.
Bao and Linh unexpectedly (or not) fall for each other. But how to navigate your heart when your loved ones hate each other so much?

I loved how cute the story and their feelings for each other were depicted. I also really enjoyed the fact that I hadn't the impression to read an "empty shell". I don't know how to explain but sometimes i feel like I don't really know that a character is poc. But here we know and I liked all the details and dialogues in vietnamese that Loan Le added.

The only thing I regret is that some part are to slow which almost made me lose interest. But I'm glad I kept up because the end nearly made me cry.

More than just a love story, a pho love story, a pho love story convey really important messages and stories that immigrant children can relate to!

TW: racism, loss of a loved one

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review !!

5 stars.

I really loved this book. I have to admit that I am falling in love with most romance novels I read at the moment, and this one was no exception. Even before reading, I loved the concept – a Romeo and Juliet-esque romance, two rival restaurants? Sign me up. – and the cover. I am in love with the cover art. Thank you.

I found the plot of this book to be extremely interesting and well-balanced between the two main characters, Bao and Linh. I enjoyed the dual pov narrative and rarely found myself confused as to which character was speaking, as I sometimes do while reading books with multiple points of view. I loved both Bao and Linh as characters, their romance was super cute and it was really interesting to watch as they helped each other grow and find themselves.

While being an extremely cute romcom, A Pho Love Story also gave me a very powerful look into the lives of Bao and Linh's parents – all Vietnamese refugees who fled from their homeland and ended up in America, having to build their lives from the ground up. The book also dealt well with familial trauma.

Overall, I loved this book, it will sit in my heart forever, near Gloria Chao's Rent a Boyfriend – to people who enjoyed that, read A Pho Love Story. It definitely filled the Rent a Boyfriend sized hole in my heart. I cannot finish this review without mentioning how incredible the descriptions of food were in this book. It left me beyond hungry.

Content warnings: familial trauma, references to/mentions of war, racism.

I am sadly having to DNF this book. I was really looking forward to it but I found it to be rather boring. The characters just didn't interest me and I didn't find anything unique in the book. I have read multiple YA books where there are 2 feuding restaurants and the younger generation end up falling in love. For me it just wasnt new and the characters were bland.
I hate not finishing books, especially from netgalley but unfortunately I couldn't continue.

This was so adorable. I absolutely loved the idea, which admittedly is nothing very new for most aspects of the story, but the execution was everything I could possibly ask for.

I really enjoyed both our MCs, Linh and Bảo, although sometimes it could be hard to differentiate their voices - chapters alternate pov and it gets tricky sometimes to know whose chapter it is. But I loved their relationship and their personalities. And the side characters, Ali and Việt, were lovely and entertaining as well.

I found super interesting to learn more about Vietnamese culture - Papago and Google were my best friends while I was reading as I really wanted to understand everything (made me crave Vietnamese food to be honest!) Moreover, the story deals with expectations set on children by their parents because they want the best for their own, racism, trauma regarding war and escaping a country that is changing and has nothing to offer you anymore - I can’t say if this was portrayed well but I enjoyed that the subjects were mentioned in the first place.

My only complaint was the ending - I wish we had more, about the romance but not only. I really wanted to know more about Linh’s artistic ambitions and whether or not she got the Golden Keys scholarship.

Get ready to meet a modern day Romeo and Juliette in the form of Bao and Linh.

Linh and Bao’s parents own competing Vietnamese restaurants and there’s history between the families that has led to years of animosity. When Bao is asked to review local restaurants for the school paper and Linh is tasked with providing illustrations for the articles, romance starts to blossom. Can their relationship survive their feuding families?

At first this book felt very young to me even though the characters are in their last year of high school but, as it continued the characters gained maturity which was great to see and important for a YA audience.

The characters in this book are struggling with who they are and figuring out what they want to be, as well as the pressure of meeting their parent’s expectations. I think this is something everyone can relate to and with the POV split between Linh and Bao we got to see both of their inner journeys.

As well as the struggles of the children as both teens and as first generation Americans we hear about the trials their parents had to live through to get to America. There are a lot of old wounds there and you can see how determined both sets of parents are to make sure their children have safe, secure lives.

My favourite part of the book was the adorable romance but the descriptions of all the amazing food was definitely a close second! Do not read this when hungry!

Because of the mix of languages in this book I think it would be particularly enjoyable as an audiobook too.

Quick note - I can’t get the tone mark for Bao’s name on my phone keyboard but there is one shown in the book.

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

3.75 stars

Heartwarming, charming and hopeful, A Pho Love Story is a love letter to Vietnamese culture and its food (seriously the food descriptions in this book are perfection and so mouthwatering) as well as being an adorable love story between 2 teens from rival families.

We are following both Bao and Linh, who both work in their families respective restaurants across the street from each other. The families really hate each other and have a intense rivalry, but when Linh and Bao end up teaming up for the school newspaper to write restuaurant reviews and start devloping a friednship and possibly blossoming into more, hidden family secrets and tensions are brought to light!

Linh is a hard-worker, but is suffering under her parents expectations. Linh adores art and painting, however she doesn't want to tell her parents because she knows they won't be supportive and will feel disapointed, especially since her parents are vietnamese immigrants and have worked hard to provide Linh with the life she has had so far, so they worry about her having a career that can support her. I thought Linh and the relationship with her parents was very nuanced and well explored, neither side is entirely innocent but you can feel the undercurrent of love despite outward resentment.

Bao is the sweetest cinnamon roll and his little sunshine personality was such a joy to read about!!! I loved how supportive he was of Linh and standing up for his community and family. Bao is also a little lost with his direction in life at the start of the book, but watching him grow in self-confidence throughout the novel was such a joy.

I really liked Linh and Bao relationship, I thought they complimented each other really well and I liked the slight romeo and juilet vibe that was going on with the whole forbidden love thing!! Finding out about the reasons for the resentment between the families was really interesting and I always like intergenerational themes in books! I also really liked the exploration of being the children of Vietnamese immigrants, and I think this book helped me understand the unique struggles that the children go through and will hopefully help me be even more compassionate in the future!!

This book did take me a little bit of time to warm up too, and I did think it was a little long for a YA rom com however the second half more than made up for this!! One thing I really liked was how the main conflict came from the relationships with the families and parents, rather than a dramatic third act breakup between Linh and Bao.

While I feel like i'm fortunate enough not to share any of the struggles Bao and Linh go through, I think this book will mean so much to a lot of people, especially those struggling with parental expectations and wanting to pursue their passions, even if those passions don't align with parental desire and an easy and secure career path.

In conclusion a great debut YA rom com which is perfect if you need a bit of cheesy romance whilst also exploring some important themes around being a teenager and a child of immigrants. And also if you want to be made hungry haha

This has so little in common with Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before, yet it's one of the few books that managed to fill my heart with the same kind of warmth and contentment that the trilogy had so long ago.
I think it's difficult to write a contemporary that is equal parts romantic and lighthearted, and, at the same time, unafraid to dive deeper and explore more serious topics. Not only does Loan Le manage to find the precise balance between these two dimensions, but she makes is so that it is impossible for the reader to imagine one existing without the other. On a surface level, the novel delivers the reader with just what they'd expect upon seeing the cover: a sweet love story set to the backdrop of family feuds and culinary adventures. Beyond that, however, Le carefully and tenderly crafts not one, but two coming of age narratives.
Linh, our female protagonist, appears to have always been sure of her calling - well as she might know that her parents despise the prospect for her, she is unable to imagine herself being anything but an artist. Bao, our male lead, on the other hand, has been content with a life of self proclaimed mediocrity, roaming aimlessly through life. As the reader comes to learn, bringing the two of them together may just lead to both of them finding the answers they've been searching for.
If you strip away the romance and family feuds, what you have at the heart of it all is the story of a girl searching for the bravery to be true to herself and fight for what she wants regardless of what others may think of her dreams and a boy who just needs a little push to find his path in life. While their meeting may be the catalyst of it all, it is up to the two individuals to steer their lives on the path that they discover to be right for them. I thought art as a theme was explored in an interesting manner throughout the novel as well - you have Linh on the one side, so sure of her talent and having worked at it for her whole life, then on the other you have Bao, whose awareness of his craft is much more recent, yet not any less ardent for it.
Now, while that is great in itself and what appeals to me first and foremost, I must commend the romance. The progression of it was both organic and exciting and not once did I doubt the chemistry between the two leads. There was something so wholesome to see their romance bloom from shared experiences and one act of kindness that changes everything. The understanding between the two of them, the careful balance between helping each other test their limits without ever pushing too far ... I'd hate to be corny and obvious, but it truly as delicious *chef's kiss*.
Now, onto other elements worth noting. I loved the way Le imbues Vietnamese culture within every layer of her story - you can feel the nostalgia for a homeland lost to time and circumstance, you can see how cultural legacy shapes every way the characters experience and explore the world. From the complicated parental expectations when said parents left their home to offer their children the chance at a better future, to the community one forms even while abroad in order to retain a part of home, to the unavoidable mix of one's mother tongue and their adoptive language, to the food that plays such a big part in this story. Le's attention to detail offered such depth to this story and it makes her characters' world come alive right off the page for all the senses to experience.
I loved seeing the ways both protagonists navigated those complicated family relations, the interaction with their broader community. Special shout outs go to their best friends and Chef Le, the unexpected star of the show.
I cannot recommend this novel highly enough and am very excited to see what else the author comes up with in the future!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a bit hard to get into in the beginning but once I'd gotten into the story, I was absolutely hooked and read it in one sitting. The family backgrounds were emotional and touched on very real real issues that have happened and are still going on. It's rivals to lovers which I loved! Not only were the main characters fully developed but the side characters were too, the author didn't just forget about them. I've never read books with Vietnamese-American characters before so it quite educational to read about them and learn about some of the culture through the book (and then going on to do further research after reading it!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full 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. Bao 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?

Bao is a guy I’d love to having my life. He loves writing, is kind, considerate, helpful and so goddamn sweet! Linh is a girl after my own heart. Sassy, creative, passionate and loves her family (even if they annoy her). She follows her dreams and does her best to fight her fears. I really enjoyed reading from both characters’ POV as it gave different insights into the story - how each character is perceived by the other, which gave them more depth and ultimately, made them more relatable. I loved how different Bao and Linh are to each other too, despite essentially having the same upbringing as restaurant kids.

I really enjoyed the element of mystery throughout the story. Why are the families such bitter rivals? Is it just because of their restaurants? Is it more? We get to go on that journey with Bao and Linh, slowly uncovering hints and clues along the way. With that, I like that we are always guessing and wondering instead of it being revealed part way through the book - alongside the characters, I found that element really helped to keep me engaged with the story.

Overall, A Pho Love Story is a beautiful story of blooming romance that makes you oh so hungry too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

A cute, heartwarming tale of two Vietnamese-American teenagers from rival restaurants falling in love. I love a good star-crossed lovers story (and not just because I’m rereading Romeo and Juliet right now). This book proved to be that and so much more.

I wasn’t expecting to be as touched as I was by each family’s struggle. The book details the parents’ lives in South Vietnam before they fled to America, a background that I found especially heartbreaking. The sense of community amongst the Vietnamese people in the novel was lovely to read about, as well as the mouth-watering descriptions of food. I’ve never had pho before but I really want to try it.

The two protagonists - Linh and Bao - were equally interesting. The book is written in dual perspective but I enjoyed both equally. They had so much going on in their respective lives and the romance that bloomed between them felt natural. I really appreciated the focus on other relationships, such as friendships, and especially familial bonds.

Linh and Bao both disagree with their parents at some point, and the resolutions to those conflicts were the best scenes of the novel, in my opinion. The themes of family, culture, and community are all important to me, so I appreciated seeing them in here all the more.

I haven’t really known what to expect from YA romance novels lately – they’ve been a bit disappointing. But A Pho Love Story by Loan Le gave me all the feels, honestly I felt like I had tears in my eyes for the last quarter of the book. If you want a book where you’ll care for all the characters, that has a deep, emotional plot, and will make you very, very hungry, then this is the story for you.

The book has two points of view – the teenage kids of rival Vietnamese restaurant owners with businesses across the street from each other. Bao moves through life with no aims, assuming that he is destined for mediocrity. Linh has goals – she wants to be a painter, but her parents, Vietnamese immigrants, do not want her to have a hard life like they did and so disapprove.

Both characters had such strong stories and journeys that I couldn’t help but read this book in one sitting. Their parents both have different attitudes towards their kids, Bao’s just want him to have something, but Linh’s want her to have a secure career and life. One thing their parents do agree on is that they should avoid each other – and they often try to outcompete each other as restaurant owners. But is there more to these families than just being business rivals?

What captured me the most about this story was the family dynamics. Both Bao and Linh learn so much about their parents’ histories and it helps a reader see the disagreements from all perspectives. When Linh and Bao decide to put rivalry aside and get to know each other, as they tried to as young children, it really makes for a heart-warming story of growth, forgiveness, love and friendship.

With divine food descriptions (I really want to try Vietnamese food now), and a story I felt with every word, A Pho Love Story is not one to miss. It’s so much more than a love story, it’s the story of escaping war and wanting what is best for your kids, of realising they might not always be who you expected them to be and accepting it.

Will you be picking up A Pho Love Story? I truly believe this is a great book choice for teens and adults alike.

This was such a cute book! I fell absolutely in love with this Romeo-and-Juliet-like story and its delightful cast of characters. Much like a delicious bowl of pho, this book was heartwarming and cozy and generally perfect for helping me get through the struggle that was January.

Bao and Linh in particular were super-cute and relatable, and I really felt for them, which is something that doesn't happen to me all that often anymore when I read YA contemporary. I guess that's a sign I'm getting old... Bao's struggle to find his purpose and Linh's conflict between her passion for art and her parents' expectations were 100% realistic and something I could really sympathise about. The romance was also adorable, and I just could not get enough of these two!

The secondary characters were also really well developed, and I enjoyed seeing all the various relationships developing and changing. This is really a book about family and friendship and community as well as romance, and I loved seeing that come through so naturally in the secondary characters as well.

It was extremely refreshing to read about Vietnamese-American characters, something which I hadn't done before, and I feel like this allowed me to get a glimpse of such a rich culture. Bao's and Linh's families come from a traumatic past, which heavily influences their choices, but always remains in the background, never taking over. I particularly loved the vivid and rich descriptions of various Vietnamese foods, and it made me curious to try more of them. The downside: I was hungry for most of this book!

One thing I would have liked to be done differently is the way that Vietnamese language is used throughout the book. There are many passages where whole sentences and exchanges are conducted in Vietnamese, which in itself is a wonderful thing, but often there was no translation or summary of what was said to accompany that. Now, I could sometimes guess what was said or make it out from the context, but there were a few instances where I was left completely clueless as to what had just been said, and that took something away from the experience for me.

Overall, this is a very pleasant, lighthearted ownvoices read with lovable characters. Fair warning: do not consume on an empty stomach, as it will cause unlimited cravings for delicious Vietnamese foods, going well beyond the better-known pho.

This was a super cute read. I loved every page. I loved both of the main characters and seeing their relationship develop over the course of the book. I liked what the book had to say about families and their importance. Be warned this is also the sort of book that will constantly make you hungry.

It was also refreshing to have a YA book where the characters actually had a part time job alongside school and didn’t just spend their free time spending vast sums of a never ending supply of cash.

This is an adorable book following two people Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai who have grown up in the midst of a family rivalry between their restaurants. The two have lived parallel lives and form a connection in discussing similarities they've grown up with.

The cute awkward moments between the characters are perfectly done and really emphasises the first love aspect of the relationship without it feeling false. I loved how the book shows us them trying to figure out what they want to do next in their lives and how there's the balance of what's "expected" of them vs what they want to do.

The writing of how the characters particularly Linh is dealing with her parents expectations and the pressure this puts on her was such an emotional aspect to read and I just wanted to give her a hug.

This book is made up of a number of great aspects from descriptions of food to the navigating of lies and family histories. With some great side characters (Chef Lê).

Just fell in love with the book and the complexity between immigrant parents and their kids. It’s so good and it’s the first time I read something set up with Vietnamese langages ! It gaves us so much more cultural aspect and I loved it.

Truly fell in love with Bao an Linh and this love story made my heart melt, i loved how they learned and explored with themself and their differents arts.

I can only recommend it to you to read this beautiful pho story

Who doesn’t love a Romeo to Juliet retelling?

Firstly I absolutely loved the concept of the story following two competing Vietnamese families pho restaurants and was lovely to see that the culture was predominant through the whole book. I also loved that even though it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling, it swayed to the contemporary genre and the two protagonists never really hated each other and truly connected from the offset which was very cute.

Sometimes when reading books with multiple povs, I find I can get bored and confused but that definitely wasn’t the case in this story. I loved following both Bao and Linh’s story’s (particularly Bao as I am currently studying journalism at uni myself!) and their romance was extremely cute.

All in all a very cute story of love, family, reconnections and learning.