A review by storiesandsidequests
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 
If you’re looking for a cute romance with two Asian protagonists, A Pho Love Story is a great one to pick up. The story is told with alternating perspectives of the two main characters, Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai whose parents own competing pho restaurants and have a long-standing rivalry.

The writing was easy to connect with and I loved the descriptions of food, especially when they start going to other restaurants Seriously, this book will make you want to eat!

The romance was cute, but kind of boring if I’m being completely honest. For me, there wasn’t enough build up to the romantic relationship and I was more interested in the backstory behind the ongoing feud between their families, which went much deeper than the competing restaurants. I enjoyed watching the story unfolding as Linh and Bao uncovered their families’ history, but the reveal felt a bit too rushed despite the book being pretty long. The family relationships were the most compelling thing about this book and I appreciated that the author chose to include the storyline of the older generations’ escape from Vietnam after the war and the immigrant experience.

I enjoyed getting to know Linh and Bao as individual characters. Although they fall for each other so quickly, they each have their own individual personalities and motivations throughout the story. I appreciated Linh as a character because as tired as I am of seeing the overachiever Asian protagonist who secretly wants a career in the arts but feels pressure from her parents to pursue something more prestigious, I can personally relate to many of the things she felt growing up. Like many Asian kids, straight A’s were expected and I dismissed many of my creative pursuits as just hobbies instead of embracing them as viable career options.

Bao was such a sweet character and he’s basically the perfect no-drama boyfriend (minus the whole family rivalry thing). What I liked most about him in the beginning is that he was so kind, but also so average – average grades, neither popular nor unpopular, unremarkable to the point that his parents don’t put pressure on him to be perfect. They don’t want him to be top of his class or a doctor; they just want him to find something he can succeed at. I have mixed feelings about his character arc though. On one hand I liked that he found something he was passionate about that helped fight back against the racism leveled against his community, but I’m not sure how I feel about how easily he excels and how everything just falls into place so quickly. I think this simplification can be pretty discouraging to readers who have to struggle to be good enough at something they’ve been working toward for a long time.

Also, can we please dispel the harmful model minority myth and the stereotype that Asian kids are perfect and can immediately succeed at everything? Let Asian kids be ordinary. Let them struggle and be uncertain about their future.

I actually think Linh’s aunt was a good example of this. Linh looks up to her because she’s an artist and lives life on her own terms but has to deal with her sister’s (Linh’s mother) patronizing remarks about her being a starving artist despite the fact that she is now quite successful. Actually, I’d be really interested to read her point of view of their immigration, how she struggled before she succeeded and how she maintained her relationship with her family despite their comments and disappointment.

In conclusion, I loved the characters as individuals, the family dynamics, and the historical fiction aspect. The romance wasn’t anything extraordinary but it was pretty cute and I enjoyed it overall. 
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