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veskumelooni's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
Minor: War and Death
lorikim63's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
c_ab_bage's review against another edition
5.0
super cute love story. a bit of romeo and juliet meets vietnamese culture. love the main characters and was truly rooting for them the entire time. it was also so educational to read about the lives of vietnamese immigrants and i truly loved hearing about their cuisine. managed to be light hearted and fun while still facing the very real issues of what the “american dream” truly means.
kzhawol's review against another edition
5.0
Soo cute love the backstory in regards to the main character fighting the urge to understand her parents and why they parent the way they do, the guilt of following her dreams versus honoring the hardship that her parents went through. pursuing a forbidden love only to uncover and heal certain relationships. The community is full of passion and proximity, individuality and connection. this book was prefect to read while drinking boba in the library and 10/10 did make me cry.
desichelle's review against another edition
5.0
Coming from a Vietnamese grandmother, I absolutely loved this book!
I was able to connect to the characters and hear Vietnamese language I understand.
This is a must read for anyone with a Vietnamese heritage and for those who want a little insight on the Vietnamese culture.
I was able to connect to the characters and hear Vietnamese language I understand.
This is a must read for anyone with a Vietnamese heritage and for those who want a little insight on the Vietnamese culture.
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Family relationship were my favorite part of book, romance between Bao and Ling was good also this book will make you hungry, just it's way too long.
Family relationship were my favorite part of book, romance between Bao and Ling was good also this book will make you hungry, just it's way too long.
shelleydavis's review against another edition
2.0
DNF- It just didn’t keep my attention. I really wanted to love it
artisticallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
You can see this review and many others on my Blog
In this loose Vietnamese take on the classic tale of “Romeo and Juliet”, the Mai and the Nguyen family have been rivals since forever.
Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai have been forbidden to speak to each other their whole lives, but when Bao comes across Linh in an alley one day, his curiosity gets the best of him.
They both soon realize that they have so many things in common and they wonder why they’ve never connected before, but despite them knowing they can’t ever be together they fall head over heels for each other..
Can they find love in the midst of a family who have been at odds for so many years?
I honestly thought this was so stinkin’ cute!! I absolutely loved the relationship between Bao and Linh and seeing the duel perspective!
The family aspect has to be one of my favorite parts of this! Learning about the past of the Mai’s and the Nguyen’s definitely kept it super interesting, because I just had to keep reading to know what was happening there!
I originally picked this up thinking it was going to be a cute fluffy contemporary, but it was so much more than that!
I loved seeing the creativity between the two main protagonists with Bao’s exploring new places to write his school newspaper articles as well as Linh’s drawings and paintings with the descriptions we got while she was painting!
I will say at some points it did seem like it dragged a bit, but I think in the end the story redeemed itself.
P.S. don’t read this book on a empty stomach HAHA!
There were so many descriptions of AMAZING sounding foods and recipes that just made me hungry!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Blog | Instagram | TikTok
“I find refuge in art, escaping thoughts like this, to regain control when life throws another obstacle my way. When I work, magic happens; for a few hours at a time, the world just slips away.”
In this loose Vietnamese take on the classic tale of “Romeo and Juliet”, the Mai and the Nguyen family have been rivals since forever.
Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai have been forbidden to speak to each other their whole lives, but when Bao comes across Linh in an alley one day, his curiosity gets the best of him.
They both soon realize that they have so many things in common and they wonder why they’ve never connected before, but despite them knowing they can’t ever be together they fall head over heels for each other..
Can they find love in the midst of a family who have been at odds for so many years?
I honestly thought this was so stinkin’ cute!! I absolutely loved the relationship between Bao and Linh and seeing the duel perspective!
The family aspect has to be one of my favorite parts of this! Learning about the past of the Mai’s and the Nguyen’s definitely kept it super interesting, because I just had to keep reading to know what was happening there!
I originally picked this up thinking it was going to be a cute fluffy contemporary, but it was so much more than that!
“When I paint, there’s always a moment where I just know that I’m finally finished. The colors and textures come together to depict a feeling of rightness.”
I loved seeing the creativity between the two main protagonists with Bao’s exploring new places to write his school newspaper articles as well as Linh’s drawings and paintings with the descriptions we got while she was painting!
I will say at some points it did seem like it dragged a bit, but I think in the end the story redeemed itself.
P.S. don’t read this book on a empty stomach HAHA!
There were so many descriptions of AMAZING sounding foods and recipes that just made me hungry!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Blog | Instagram | TikTok