A Pho Love Story

By Loan Le

All's fair in love, war and noodles! This delicious debut is perfect for fans of teen romcoms such as When Dimple Met Rishi and Jenny Han's To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

What if Romeo and Juliet was set in a Vietnamese restaurant?

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.
 
If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and spark and fire. She loves art, and she dreams of making a career of it one day. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including expecting her to work practically full-time at their family’s pho restaurant.
 
For decades, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh have resolved never to befriend each other, for fear of pushing too far and bringing on undue heartbreak. But when a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao closer, sparks fly . . .

Can Linh and Bao’s love survive in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?

This delicious debut is perfect for fans of When Dimple Met Rishi and To All the Boys I’ve Love Before.

Praise for A Pho Love Story:
'(A) warm, full-bodied take on the star-crossed-lovers rom-com genre' Kirkus Reviews
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jun 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781398502666

Loan Le

Loan Le is the author of Solving for the Unknown and A Ph? Love Story, a YA rom-com that earned praise from NPR, PopSugar, Bustle, Bon Appetit, USA TODAY, and BuzzFeed. She published her YA speculative short story in the anthology Firsts & Lasts. Loan is also a senior editor at Atria Books, where she acquires genre-bending adult fiction. When she isn’t writing young adult novels, she’s trying to make sourdough bread, watching true crime documentaries, and working on her adult novel. Visit her website at WriterLoanLe.com and find her on X @LoanLoan and Instagram @LoanLoanLe.

Reviews for A Pho Love Story

[ftbooklover · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Bao and Linh's families not only have competing Vietnamese restaurants right across the street from one another, but they also seem to hate each other passionately. When Bao comes to Linh's rescue during their annual Pho day and helps serve the food at her family's restaurant, Linh starts to see that there might be more to Bao and his parents than she had been told by her mother and father. In the meantime, Linh has been lying to her family about how she spends her time after school because they don't understand her desire to pursue a career in art. At the same time, Bao's family would just like for him to decide on something that he will do with his life.

A Pho Love Story provides a very good look into Vietnamese culture and ancestral values. Many traditional dishes are described as they are prepared and served in the story. In addition, the everyday lives of Vietnamese-American citizens in the US are profiled, which also includes different ways prejudice causes suffering in communities where Vietnamese-American citizens live. The weakest part of this book is the romance between Bao and Linh. They are very likable characters and are extremely nice, but the conflict between them is almost nonexistent. The supporting characters in this story, however, are fun and quirky, making them the most interesting part of the book. Overall, A Pho Love Story provides a fascinating look into Vietnamese culture but leaves the audience wanting more in the way of romance.

[sjgirl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With their parents locked in a long standing feud, there’s a forbidden romance aspect to this one and while I did think Linh and Bao were sweet together, for me, the romance ended up being the least interesting part of the book. I loved that family played such a significant role, that we get to know the parents, learn about their journeys from Vietnam, their immigrant experiences in America, and what ignited the feud. I particularly liked Linh and Bao’s relationships with their moms, there’s believable tension there but warmth, too.If you aren’t interested in reading about food this might not be the book for you, food is mentioned a lot, but I thought all those mentions worked so well with the story, it very much added to the sense of place and culture.By far though, my favorite thing about A Pho Love Story was Linh’s art. I’m always disappointed when a book tells you a character has a talent or a passion for something yet fails to really show you that talent or passion in action. Here the author does such a fantastic job of inviting the reader into Linh’s creativity, describing her work, her process, the intense concentration she puts into it and what it does for her emotionally. I found those scenes thoroughly engaging, they had me very much invested in the question of whether not Linh would follow her heart or obey her well-intentioned parents.