Always and Forever, Lara Jean

Written by Jenny Han

Narrated by Ali Ahn

Now a Netflix original movie starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo and the inspiration behind the Netflix spin-off series XO, Kitty, now streaming!

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this follow-up to the bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next-door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980047872

Jenny Han

Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, now Netflix movies. She is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Summer I Turned Pretty series, now streaming on Amazon Prime, as well as Shug and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. She is the coauthor of the Burn for Burn trilogy, with Siobhan Vivian. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages. A former librarian, Jenny earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews for Always and Forever, Lara Jean

[dimitra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A perfect way to close this love story!!!Love it!!!

[Ashley Schieber · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My fav series I wish there was more u NEED to listen to this

[Jamie Spicer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

These books are so cute. Love ❤️ them. Highly recommended

[Sarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Being vulnerable, letting people in, is all part of being in love.”

Lara Jean and Peter have some tough times in this novel, and my heart was breaking for them. So many tough decisions.
[College at UVA for Peter and UNC for Lara Jean.]
[Graduation.]
[Senior Beach Week]
[Familial Expectations]

Lara Jean keeps remembering everyone’s advice to not go to college with a boyfriend, but she must ultimately decide if that advice is for her, or if she should walk her own path.

Origin stories are so important, and Lara Jean & Peter’s is no exception. Han beautifully writes Peter as the last speaker of the novel...telling his origin story. Just lovely.

I would like to read another one post-collegiate life for Lara Jean...but maybe NOT having that is part of the dreamy appeal of the series.

[Nicole Fong · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice bittersweet ending to the series! Made me feel so reminiscent of my own leaving school to go to university story and high school romances. So nostalgic and magical.

Although lara jean's proximity to whiteness is alarming and I'm shocked throughout the entire series she doesn't face any racism or discrimination???

[Wendoline Mercado Rojano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is rare to find such a heartwarming story as this trilogy has been. I had already read the books once before, and even though I already knew the plot, I enjoyed them very much once again. I especially appreciate the loving family setting of Lara Jean's home, and listening to this was like a balm to the soul. I think these books will always be some of my favorite.

[Laura Shelley-Butler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the story. It’s an easy and quick listen. But at the end there is lots of skipping in the audio which was annoying.

[Alice 9944 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute trilogy but not sure I'd read it again. The family and friendships that are build in this book is something to be remembered

[Heather Prince · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was such a great series, I’d love to see a 4th book of Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship in college though.

[buffycharpentier · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was a bit disapointed in the last instalment of all the boys I've loved before. It seemed to focus on way to many things except coming to a satifying conclusion. It may have been better had Jenny Han broke this up into two more books rather than one. The ending seemed hurried, and there was a definate obsession with Hamelton that I was not getting the relevance of. It was just as sweet as the first two, but lacking in so many other ways. It was a bittersweet good by to Laura Jean.

[Yel Baldemor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As I say with my goodreads while listening to this, it is feel good. But as I go along, I can compare it with you running around bare footed on hill, you're running smoothly, as the sun straightly pointed on you and the grass goes hot and you feel like your feet is burning and as it sets and your fert is not burning anymore as you run and hop and the slight rain came and the surface you're running goes lumpy and muddy and it all goes sunny again and cool and you washes your feet and go back again to your picnic table with your loveones. Thats the feeling. Hahah

[Katie Kitkat Halliday · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really cute ending to the series. I recommend listening to this as the narrator was brilliant!

[Tameekah Ervington · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was both too much and not enough. It lacked the freshman feel of the first book and character development of the second. Lars Jean's maturation was painfully slow as was the way she's written. I wanted to enjoy it but I mostly didn't. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes naivety and "good wholesome fun."

[Elizabeth Iman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ok, Peter you won. That very last contract (and him organizing $&&&&) finally made me team Peter ? .... it’s very in character for him to try that hard to be likeable lol

[toddsamual · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story and the narrator has a beautiful voice

[Nessie-Aly Black · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quite drastically different from the film, but I still really enjoyed it like the rest of the novels! Cried actual tears a few times and I loved how more in depth they got with the family and planning the wedding and inviting Trina to the family, not to mention Lara Jean feeling distant from her mother which the films don’t even touch which is such a shame.
I believe the reader changed Margo’s voice from the other books. She had a more mature voice and was distinct from Lara Jean’s voice in the past but I couldn’t tell the difference sometimes with this recording which made it difficult to listen to while knowing who was who. Some other voices also blurred together, especially the men’s (Peter and Dad’s voice were almost identical).
The book felt a bit slow at times, like I was waiting for something big to happen but I still enjoyed the ride. The ending felt quite anti climactic and not as big of a conflict as the film makes it (SPOILER: making Lara Jean’s commute further away in the film vs the book where it’s literally only a 3 hour drive) so I hope another book gets released though the author said she doesn’t plan on it. Maybe an excerpt or something.

[mollydodd23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Was excited to read this third book in the series after reading the first two and watching the first two movies. I felt that Lara Jean was depicted as controlling and a goody too shoes In the books but I didn’t get that feeling as strong in the first two movies. Coming from a hard place of losing her mother young, maybe her coping mechanism? Overall enjoyed but a bit predictable and Lara Jean’s privilege frustrated me at times where she didn’t feel relatable.

[Mibin Mammen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5
It's Soo cute .I just loved everything about it . It was such a cute and perfect ending to this endearing series . At some parts of the story , I was tearing up a bit . This trilogy was not perfect by any means , but it was so entertaining.the Hufflepuff vibes are so prominent and made me feel Soo cozy . It's such an endearing trilogy and was glad to binge read it .

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lara Jean and Peter are in their senior year of high school and planning for college. Peter is going to UVA on a lacrosse scholarship, and Lara Jean applies to attend there, too. They make plans for being together during college, but plans don't always work the way we think.
Lara Jean and Peter discuss how to keep dating when they are away at college, and their relationship has a few bumps. However, they truly love each other.
Lara Jean's dad and Trina begin dating and things get serious. The scenes between their dad, the Song girls, and Trina are very touching.
A wonderful ending to this trilogy of teen love.

[barnesbookshelf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It feels right to have Lara Jean's story end with her going off to college, since it starts with her sister going off to college. I think I like this the best of the three, especially with the time hop. I like Chris in this one. She actually feels like a best friend to Lara Jean. Overall, it's a good ending to the series.

[colie77 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not ready to let go of Lara Jean and Peter. I really need Jenny Han to do a college years trilogy.

[sublunarie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lara Jean and Peter are the only straight couple I care about.

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So much fun! I love how it ended. I had to read this one instead of listen and it was disorienting at first because I LOVED the audio and looked forward to listening to the finale but there isn't any audio as far as I could tell. I still enjoyed it a ton!

[daumari · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lara Jean is very sweet, almost cloyingly so, but in an age of edgy teens it's nice to read a soft main character. A conclusion to her high school adventures, in this third installment Lara Jean ponders what it will mean for her relationship as she and Peter go off to college. I am not Lara Jean, so I'm perplexed as to why she didn't think as much about what she was going to school for versus the closeness to home & Peter, but we're different people.

When I went to college, there were a lot of people on my freshman dorm floor who were very homesick, even though it was close enough to do a weekend drive home to do laundry and see their parents. I, on the other hand, was 3,000 miles from home and was thrilled with the adventure. Lara Jean helps me get into the head of those that do have close home ties (the furthest she applies to is UNC, ~3.5 hours away which is easily still a weekend trip, if not a day trip). I've done long distance relationships at that length and while it's not fun, it's doable so I couldn't help but roll my eyes a little bit at Peter and Lara Jean's concerns (but also, very valid! College is a new time to possibly meet new people, and some people stick together but most of us don't!)

These books are relatable escapism. Worries about getting into schools, finding the perfect prom dress, wondering if your relationship will last going to college (and possibly different ones at that) are #relatableAF (is that something the kids say these days? I'm 30. I'm not the target demographic by any stretch). Lara Jean calling vendors on behalf of her dad and his fiance for their wedding as she 'stress relieves'? A little less believable, though she definitely has $$$ because he's a doctor. Do I want to fantasize about being able to bake all the time and worry about whether or not my Cute Boyfriend will get a lot of girls' numbers as a university athlete? Not really, but I can see the appeal.

I've seen the first Netflix movie but haven't gotten to the second, and am curious if they're going to change the schools given the books are in Charlottesville, VA but the movie is Portland, OR. I guess the UVA equivalent would be PSU, with William and Mary being University of Oregon and UNC to University of Washington?

[ms_rowse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Satisfying end to the trilogy. Read it in a day, and is one of those books where you just feel like you're hanging out with friends as you read it.

[briars_reviews · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Always and Forever, Lara Jean closes out Jenny Han's sweet story about everyone's favourite high schooler, Lara Jean Covey.

It was time to say goodbye to Lara Jean, Peter, and John Ambrose as they head off to post-secondary school and I think this book did it relatively well. I had such high hopes and put so much anticipation in this book that it kind of fell flat for me, but I don't think there could have been a better way to end it.

I will say, this is my least favourite of the three books. There wasn't tons going on in this book other than Lara Jean wishing she gets into a good school, her trying to help with the wedding but being turned down, Peter barely giving her attention or having much to do with the plot and lacking all romance that made this series the adorable contemporary, YA romance that I loved. It was odd. I kind of wish more of a plot happened or the ending was bigger or grander. It just felt so lacking compared to the other two books. If most of this book didn't happen nothing would change for the series. It's a weird book I can only label as "incomplete" or "lacking" or "missing" or any other synonym you want. It's so weird.

I still enjoyed the writing, I just wanted more out of it. More conflict, more romance, more ANYTHING. Just something, that's all I want. It felt like a filler book.

Overall, this book is interesting but isn't the closing book I wanted. I still love Jenny Han and will be picking up any and every book I can that has her name on the cover.

Two out of five stars.

[BryanBooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finally, I have read the conclusion of the trilogy: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and once again I fell in love with Peter Kavinsky and his charming story with Lara Jean. It is true that there were obstacles along the way, and important decisions to make, like which university you plan and want to study at; love once again interferes with the decisions, but "once again" Lara Jean and Peter faced it for what they feel for each other. I'm glad that Dr. Covey (Lara Jean's father) fell in love once more and wants to build his life with a new person who is just as charming and special. The book made me feel a thousand emotions as I turned the pages, a great conclusion for Lara Jean and Peter, and how this story began: with a love letter. (Translated from Spanish)

[angeljmartin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one was a little rushed, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't near as good as the second book, but it was better than the first. I found Lara Jean's father's relationship with Trina to be the most exciting part of the book. Once again, I thought Peter was unbearably annoying. As a series overall, I found it to be overrated, yet not horrible. I think it deserves some of the attention it gets, but I also think it gets more credit than it should.

[isha · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The worst in the trilogy. I was really expecting more.

[mcelhra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Always and Forever, Lara Jean, Lara Jean and Peter are now high school seniors. Their relationship is better than ever. But what will happen after graduation when they head off to college? Peter is going to the University of Virginia on a lacrosse scholarship. Will Lara Jean get accepted there so they can stay together? If she decides to go somewhere else for college, can they sustain a long-distance relationship?

The primary stress in Lara Jean’s life is waiting to find out whether or not she got into UVA. All of Peter and her plans hinge on the assumption that she will be going there with him. To deal with her anxiety, she throws herself into planning her father’s wedding to her neighbor Ms. Rothschild. I thought that it was a little odd that Lara Jean’s dad and Ms. Rothschild were okay with Lara Jean, a high school student, handling the brunt of their wedding planning. I mean Laura Jean’s hominess is part of her charm and it makes sense she would want to help – I’m just surprised they let her do so much of it. She also does a lot of stress baking.

I feel protective of Lara Jean after following her trials and tribulations for three books now and I was rooting for her and Peter the whole time I was listening to this book. They both get some curveballs thrown at them that surprised me. After finishing this final book in the series, I can definitely recommend the entire series. My twelve-year old daughter has also listened to and enjoyed all three books. Even though they are about high schoolers, I don’t think there was anything in them that was inappropriate for her as a seventh grader to read. Take care, Lara Jean!