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artisticallyreading's review
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.
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“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
bookmarkedjosie's review
4.0
A Phở Love Story, by Loan Le, is a medium-paced YA contemporary romance.
This is a really cute Romeo and Juliet inspired story, involving Vietnamese characters in the midst of a family feud.
My grandfather is Vietnamese so I'm familiar with the culture, but it's always nice to read more about it. The author describes really well the food (🤤) so I suggest you get yourself some phở, bubble tea or something because you'll eventually crave them. It's very interesting that she talks about a variety of Vietnamese food, not just the "basic" ones that everyone knows about.
I also like how the parents speak Vietnamese and you actually get the sentences not translated. Obviously, it's still very easy to understand what they say, with context. I liked to use my translator to get a grasp of what the words actually mean.
Linh is also an artist, so the whole artistic aspect of the book is really beautiful to read about. The psychological aspect, with the parental approval and acceptance is very interesting and well-written.
I overall really liked this story, but I felt like while being medium-paced, some things felt rushed. Like the moment they start their relationship for instance. I also felt like most of the banter happens at the end of the book.
For all of you romance readers, I highly recommend that you read this book!
This is a really cute Romeo and Juliet inspired story, involving Vietnamese characters in the midst of a family feud.
My grandfather is Vietnamese so I'm familiar with the culture, but it's always nice to read more about it. The author describes really well the food (🤤) so I suggest you get yourself some phở, bubble tea or something because you'll eventually crave them. It's very interesting that she talks about a variety of Vietnamese food, not just the "basic" ones that everyone knows about.
I also like how the parents speak Vietnamese and you actually get the sentences not translated. Obviously, it's still very easy to understand what they say, with context. I liked to use my translator to get a grasp of what the words actually mean.
Linh is also an artist, so the whole artistic aspect of the book is really beautiful to read about. The psychological aspect, with the parental approval and acceptance is very interesting and well-written.
I overall really liked this story, but I felt like while being medium-paced, some things felt rushed. Like the moment they start their relationship for instance. I also felt like most of the banter happens at the end of the book.
For all of you romance readers, I highly recommend that you read this book!
fletcherrenn's review
4.0
DNF at 68%
I like this book a lot and I don't understand why I can't bring myself to finish it. The story is very interesting and I love the main characters and their relationship. I've been telling myself since October that I would finish it, BUT IT'S JUST NOT HAPPENING.
I like this book a lot and I don't understand why I can't bring myself to finish it. The story is very interesting and I love the main characters and their relationship. I've been telling myself since October that I would finish it, BUT IT'S JUST NOT HAPPENING.
ceceska's review
1.0
Non terminé à 19%. C'était absolument plate. Ça prend 80 pages avant que les deux personnages s'adressent la parole. Avant ça c'est juste du chignage sur la vie au quotidien. Bah oui félicitations c'est de la merde travailler en restauration mais pas besoin d'en parler 80 pages sans qu'il se passe rien de notable.
melodys_library's review
3.0
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le is about two American teenagers, Bao and Linh, navigating the typical teenage stressors of dating and finding their own paths while balancing parental pressures. Bao and Linh also have one unique thing in common: They are children of refugees from the Vietnam War.
lbarsk's review
4.0
Whew okay I’m SORRY it took me so long to get through this, but what a LOVELY book. It’s about family, growth, finding your passions and strengths, surrounding yourself with people who love and support you, and a sweet romance! What more could you ask for!
elsez326's review
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? Yes
4.0
Super cute!