Another new author for me! I was so excited to read this book that as soon as I saw that it was available on NetGalley, I immediately sent in a request to read and review this book. ‘A Pho Love Story’ is a modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling about Linh and Bao, two teenagers caught in the middle of a family feud for the best Pho restaurant in their area.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, light read that had me craving for my own rivals to lovers story AND a bowl of authentic Vietnamese Pho— let me tell you I was so close to order Pho to really immerse myself into the story. The food descriptions just made me want to go to the nearest Vietnamese restaurant and order all their speciality dishes. I did kind of wish I had listened through the audiobook instead as the author incorporated a lot of their native language, so hearing the right pronunciation of the words would’ve been a much more enjoyable read in my opinion. Nevertheless, it was nice to see the native language being added in the book.

The romance was cute, nothing too special but sometimes a cliche romance is just what we need to read on a sunny picnic day at the park. One critic that I do have is that I feel like the entire book could have been halved and the story will have flown much better. There were moments where I got a little bored, and ended up skim reading a chapter or two. There were a couple scenes that added nothing to the overall development of the story, almost like filler scenes added for the sake of it. That being said, I did manage to finish this book so it was good for the most part.

3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s UK for this advanced reader’s copy of ‘A Pho Love Story’ by Loan Le

I adore this book.
It was a really quick and cute read with an adorable love story and with ugh the food descriptions omg.

I loved the insights about Vietnamese culture.

Was a bit predictable at parts but still really fun to read! Definitely recommend.

I am sad to say that this book did not work out for me!
I was very excited about reading it, but the narration overall felt kind of off, and I didn't find it entertaining enough. In fact, I had to force myself to finish the book at all. I also couldn't get behind the main characters, and though I love a dual-POV-story, this one was only an issue because at times I couldn't recall whose perspective I was reading at all (Linh Mai and Boo were too similar!) and had to go back to double-check.
I did appreciate the Vietnamese-American representation and the whole way the Vietnamese culture (and food) were depicted, but that wasn't enough to keep me interested.
The book gets marketed on IG as a romance read, but I find this characterization misleading. It is essentially a YA-book and a romance reader would not find in this book what they are looking for.

It is impossible to read this book without craving Vietnamese food. You must be prepared if you're going to read it! This is a cute love story with loveable characters.

A Pho Love Story is a novel that switches perspective between the two protagonists, a boy and a girl whose families own rival Vietnamese restaurants. It’s a sweet story that blends the culture of these families with the inevitable taboo romance and a more than generous portion of food based imagery.
My first instinct was to label this book Romeo and Juliet and soup, and though I’d say that’s a fair assessment of the plot it earnestly tries to carve out its own narrative separate to the classic tropes.

In typical teenage fashion the protagonists are completely in opposition to their parents wishes and both seek individuality, separate to familial expectations. I did find myself wishing that the romance felt just a little more scandalous to keep it intriguing but the main focus of the plot seemed to be on the characters finding themselves and their passions while fighting their societal and sometimes cultural expectations.

My main criticism of the novel was that it ironically lacked flavour. The characters are sweet but the plot devolves into a less interesting tête-à-tête about their daily lives. It was a challenge to keep myself feeling engaged the point that this has rested on my TBR for 3 months.

For a reader seeking representation and a fluffy romance, this book could definitely be what they are looking for, but this was a bit of a let down for me.

I loved A Pho Love Story! Bao and Linh were such great characters. I love that they're at a stage where they're trying to figure out what they want in life and for their future. A huge part of their inner conflict is what their parents would think about going into an art route and their relationship with each other since their parents supposedly "hate" each other. The family dynamic ties into the story a lot which is one of the aspects I loved about this. It's interesting to know that the feud runs deeper. Overall a really delightful story, I will be on the lookout for more of Loan Le's works in the future.

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le is such a delicious and adorable story that centers around star crossed lovers who own restaurants opposite each other. This book will make you hungry, swoon and most importantly its the kind of story that brings people together.

I genuinely had so much fun reading about Linh and Bao’s story as they discover and fight for their dreams as well as the love they have for the other. It’s seriously so sweet and I basically just breezed through the entire story. It is not new that I love to read about the journey of one’s path to live their dreams and it hits hard because Bao too hopes to be a writer. I was totally rooting for them the whole way.

I haven’t read a book whose main characters are Vietnamese or Vietnamese American and its honestly such a shame for me because their culture and cuisine are so rich. It makes me want to learn more and order their mouthwatering food. The story too is well written with certain background story that remained vague which left me with no choice but to read until the very end.

I highly recommend you to pick up this book as it is such a lovely book. As its about the experiences of being Asian immigrants that explore the usual element of living with strict parents with high expectations. But it was also about second chances and being in a community that helps one another through the good and bad times.

Ok this book was really great! I loved that it was a modern day Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers type of romance that was so cute! The dual perspective also really enhanced the story because we were seeing both sides and seeing how both characters felt throughout and how their lives are so similar in some ways and so different in others.

This story was surrounding two Vietnamese families who have been feuding for as long as Linh and Bao can remember. It’s just that they don’t know why and their families won’t talk about it, but with their families restaurants across the street from each other it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other again for the first time since they were children. I really enjoyed the mystery element of the families back story, why they hated each other so much and slowly getting bits of information and trying to piece it all together.

The romance was really cute and unlike most YA romances the conflict didn’t come because of some annoying miscommunication but instead because both characters were dealing with how their families felt about each other and trying to deal with how that affected them. I was really routing for Lihn and Bao and wanting things to work out for them.

I definitely recommend this book, just make sure you eat first otherwise you’ll be hungry from all the descriptions of food!

This was a lovely romance that used tropes of Romeo and Juliet in the surroundings of restaurants! The food descriptions were fantastic and the Vietnamese culture was fun to learn about. I loved the inclusion of Vietnamese phrases that really shaped the parents and family who had lived there before having to leave.

The dual perspective added great dimension to both Bao and Linh, allowing a greater understanding of their separate anxieties and their family situations. Both families have a past that connects and the build up to revealing this was just right. Each character has worries and doubts about the other and they deal with them as any teenager would.

Overall, a fun romance with a serious edge that delves into the importance of family and the changes a generation has to make.

A Pho Love Story was a beautiful story that, on first glance, seems to be a modern take on Romeo and Juliet and a brilliant one at that! I loved the romance side of the story but what I loved more was the introduction to a culture I knew very little about and how the characters grew as they got to know each other to become the people they were so clearly meant to be. A love story not just about two teenagers but about heritage, family and yourself.

I would 100% recommend

A Pho Love Story tells the story of two Vietnamese teenagers from warring Pho restaurants. Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai have grown up across the street from each other, in their parents Pho restaurants, but they have been forbidden to speak to each other as the families knowingly do not get along and are competing with each other in the restaurant business. It has been that way for years, as long as they had both known, and so they have avoided each other, until one evening when Linh and Bao encounter each other.

A Pho Love Story is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet set within a Pho restaurant, or two. I loved how they incorporated the Vietnamese culture into this story. I loved the personalities of the main two characters and the similarities of their lives and families, despite the warring going on between them. I loved Bao and his gentleness. IK loved Linh and her passion. It was a super easy read and I flew through it. It had me grinning by how cute it was, but also sad, and worried for the characters.

I was worried that this would be too long at over 400 pages, but it didn't feel that long for me. It wasn't instant love, and it wasn't slow-burn. It was something in between but it worked perfectly. I don't think the novel was too long. I think it was the perfect length to capture their relationship and the complexities within their families.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was adorable and happy and complicated, but so sweet. It would make such a cute movie.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A wonderfully written scrumptious romance that I have no doubt will go down a storm with my students. Left me with a huge smile on my face!!

I took a step outside my usual read with this book and I'm glad I did. This book was very sweet! The relationship between the two main characters reminded me a little of Romeo & Juliet. I thought they were well written and the story really held my attention. I enjoyed it very much!

This Bao and Linh whose families own rivaling restaurants. Their families have always told them to stay apart. The two teens suspect that there is more to the family feud than the restaurants. When they start hanging out and a relationship develops will they be able to stay together despite what their families say.

This book was a cute quick read. Unfortunately, I didn't love this story as much as I was hoping to. I love a good forbidden relationship but although the characters were concerned about their parents finding out I didn't feel the tension. The stakes felt very low and I wasn't invested in the romance. The characters felt a little boring and quite similar. I didn't really enjoy the switching perspectives.

Overall this was a fun quick read.

A Pho Love Story is an absolutely adorable contemporary romance that you need on your shelves. It just filled me with so much joy and delved into deeper topics amongst the fluffy romance.

I absolutely loved the premise of two competing restaurant families and their children who fall in love, Romeo and Juliet style. I felt like the character dynamics were amazing, with a supporting cast that was fully fleshed out and lovable. There’s an emphasis on wanting to pursue your dreams but being limited by familial expectations and aspirations. It cries out against being forced into a certain box and instead is a rallying cry for breaking free.

The strength and courage needed for this is fully on display in our incredible protagonists. I loved how much both Bao and Linh grew over the course of the story. They weren’t dependent on one another, but they did learn from each other and were so supportive. I felt like their romance grew at a believable pace and the chemistry was natural but undeniable. The complex family history that surrounds them goes beyond duelling restaurants, but I liked how it wasn’t an instantaneous rivals to lovers dynamic. It took time for them to trust each other and unpick what they’d been taught about the other person and their family.

This was such an adorable and lovable story, complete with romance and plenty of mouth-watering food. Every single food description was filled with so much love and warmth. Food is an important staple of cultural heritage and you could feel the pride for the community radiating off the page in each of these descriptions. I felt like I needed the recipes for every dish, but I know they’d be a closely held secret to each family. This book just felt like a warm hug disguised in the shape of a book. It spoke hard truths about the immigrant experience and racism against Asian communities, which were impactful, but it also felt like a love letter to family, heritage and the wider community.

At its core, A Pho Love Story is a story about first love, pursuing your dreams and family. It’s a beautiful book filled with hopes, dreams and wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this which I managed to read today!

I really enjoyed this cute love story. I adored both the main characters, Bao and Linh and their chemistry. Nothing felt forced and it seemed to flow naturally, I’m excited to read more books by this author!

Thank you again to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster books for my copy of A Pho Love Story.

After an initial investigation of what the Vietnamese dish Pho (pronounced Fuh) was - a soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat, sometimes chicken. It's apparently their national dish, I really like the sound of it to be honest. I began to read the tale of Bao and Linh, two teenagers who despite having everything set against them; fall in love.

Yes, you may have bow guessed it this is a Romeo and Juliet style story just without the death. I confess, I'm a sucker for that tale even if the original to me, is not a love story but a tragedy and filled as Shakespeare often did, with lessons we should all learn but I digress from the modern tale of Bao and Linh - sorry about that!

The two of them have avoided one another despite both families running Pho restaurants across from one another for twelve years which leads to extreme rivalry and the two sets of parents have an irrational hatred of one another, and that has led to their being an utter avoidance of one another.

Until an unplanned interaction happens... and Bao and Linh's lives change.

I love the glimpses into the two immigrant families, I don't know anyone who is Vietnamese and it was really interesting and the many mentions of traditional food had my tummy rumbling! I think Loan Le bringing her heritage into the tale makes it truly unique and adds so much to A Pho Story.

Bao and Linh's romance is told by the two by chapters being told from their own perspective which adds to the tale and world building as the two are very different despite having similar life experiences from their parentage and the rivalry between the two families.

However, there are moments when I truly hate how Linh's parents in particular treat her for her interests and hopes. There is clear signs of emotional abuse that doesn't get truly resolved or explored for them to see that their daughter is capable of being her own person. I had hoped that when Linh apologises for breaking their trust, the light would go on to realise what that had done had caused Linh to also against their rules...

Maybe it's my own experience of controlling parents that made me be especially frustrated by that...

I adored this. It made me crave Vietnamese food so much. It got me looking up my local restaurants. I loved the premise and couldn’t stop reading. Well done.

The second half of this book is where it definitely comes to life and makes you fall in love with the authors writing!!

The descriptive writing around food had me reaching for my fridge door constantly so it wasn’t good for my waistline!!

This is perfect for someone who needs a feel good pick me up

A Pho Love Story follows Linh and Bao, two teens from rival restaurant owning families. As their relationship develops their story becomes more complicated, becoming entangled in their families’ years-long feud.

I loved the vivid descriptions of the food in this book, I was hungry the entire time!

I found the first half of the book really slow, so much so that I really had to push through to continue reading. The second half was much faster paced which I loved but for me the book ended right when things were really picking up and getting good.

Overall I rate this book 3/5 as I really had to force myself to continue reading at some points, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second half.