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4 stars! Spoiler free review!
Honestly loved it.
Pretty cliche, but I knew that going in (I mean... look at the title). I was expecting a Disney movie-esque cute Asian foodie kinda love story and it DELIVERED. But not just on the adorable romance, but also on Asian pride and loving your immigrant parents even when what they think is best for you isn't actually what is best.
here's what I loved:
The romance was honest and real and naively innocent, but ultimately VERY cute.
I felt the feels. I did actually cry tears, real tears, at the end of this book. Loan Le did an amazing job of making the emotions of uncertainty in dreaming big dreams and turbulent familial relationships come across authentically on the page.
I can just relate SO MUCH to this book. Maybe not the child of a restaurant owner part, but in general "living up to Asian parent expectations." And I did NOT pursue the arts, I'm definitely in medical school so maybe I'm more like Linh's older sister Eve?
There was almost a little mysterious element to the family restaurant rivalry that added a lovely bit of tension and plot on top of the romance.
The use of Vietnamese language did NOT make the book confusing. Long phrases were always translated and short phrases without translations were easy to infer, so A+ on that account.
The clap back post Bao wrote — so satisfying.
And finally an ending that wrapped up all the loose ends, made me so happy to finish the book, and just left me smiling.
So why 4 stars you may ask?
As I said above, it was cliche. I knew that going in, but still, it was predictable because of it's cliche-ness. BUT that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it!
Would definitely pick up another book my Loan Le, this was her debut novel and it put her books on my radar for sure!
More for A Pho LOve Story:
Buy it on Amazon!
Check it out on Goodreads!
If you liked this, then you may like:
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
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