Meagen A Pho Love Story by Loan Le is a romantic comedy that follows the love story of two young soulmates from competing pho restaurants. We get a front row seat as they meet, fall in love, and potentially lose it all as they uncover the long hidden truths of their families histories.
This novel is equal parts romance and food interwoven with cultural and historical elements that we need to be reading now more than ever. A Pho Love Story hit me right in the heart in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Anyone who has ever fallen in love, worked in a restaurant, nearly crumbled under the weight of parental expectations, or felt like they were failing in life just for being who they are will connect with this gorgeous story.
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In her debut novel Loan Le crafts a gorgeous story that encompasses so many of the feelings I remember fondly (or not so fondly) of that crazy time between high school and college.
She adds in the cultural and societal pressures of being children of immigrant parents and learning about not just Vietnamese culture and history is an added bonus to the story…thanks for never teaching me anything useful in “history” PA board of education.
This was a heartfelt romantic comedy that had me laughing, crying, and nodding in agreement all the way through!
What is A Pho Love Story about?
A Pho Love Story is told from alternating points of view, we have two narrators in Bao and Linh. Both are high school seniors in California, both have parents who run pho restaurants, both are children of immigrants, and eventually we find out that they may be more connected than they ever thought possible.
The story follows along on their romantic journey from children of rival families and sworn enemies, to partners on a school journalism project, and finally to boyfriend/girlfriend…but will lying to their families and sneaking around really work out in the long run?
No spoilers in my reviews 🙂 I try my best to make sure you can read this before or after the book and still get the gist of what’s happening! I promise I’m not giving away more than the summary on Amazon 😉
Loan Le also works in a lot of the struggles and heartbreaks of being children of immigrant parents. Many of us understand what it is to be pressured by our parents into careers and lives that are maybe not what we dreamed of but are stable and secure, less of us understand what it’s like to face that pressure while also being subtly (or not so subtly) discriminated against by the world around us.
I felt like the cultural and historical elements that she wove into the storyline were so important and deeply emotional. It didn’t just make the characters feel more accessible it also made the truth and events behind those feelings more accessible for me, someone who really has no first hand experience or education on the topics.
What did you love about this book?
Normally I’m all about the characters but in A Pho Love Story I really got to enjoy both the delightful characters (hello Viet, let’s be best friends) and the storyline.
I was equally invested in the characters and their journey. Normally, you know I’m happy to just go wherever my characters are going but I feel like this story needed these two characters and they couldn’t have taken any other journey.
One of my favorite things about this story was both characters finding their passion and finding a way to live that truth while dealing with the consequences and fallout with their parents.
As someone who grew up working in restaurants and smothering under the heavy quilt of parental expectations there were so many moments in this book where I would stop reading and have to remind myself that it wasn’t my life playing out in front of me! It’s a very relatable story and perhaps that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
Bao and Linh are equally relatable, there were parts of both of their personalities that I felt so connected to while reading. Bao’s being content with mediocrity right up until he isn’t and Linh fighting fiercely to do the right thing for everyone even when it’s killing her…I can feel all of that in my bones.
Our main characters fit together so well as partners because of their differences but also because they’re equally sassy and fun even if it’s not the first thing they show off to the world. I loved them.
Will you read more in this series?
I know this is a standalone book but I want to know more about these characters! I need more Viet in my life. Bao’s best friend is utterly delightful and he’s the BFF we all want for ourselves: crime show obsessed and beloved by our families…perhaps a little too much at times.
This is a book I wouldn’t mind seeing play out in a movie as well…someone call Netflix!
Overall opinions of this book:
This was a 4 – 4.5 star read for me. I really loved it. I’m usually more into fantasy worlds but lately I’ve been jumping into some contemporary romance / fiction and I’m happy to report that A Pho Love Story did not disappoint.
Bao and Linh are excellent characters and narrators. Their journey might seem unique to children of immigrants but the emotions and struggles, ups and downs, lies and half truths are something I could relate to on a bone deep level.
I was instantly transported back to 18, trying to pick a career while knowing nothing about the world, trying to please everyone but myself without knowing who I was…ugh. All. The. Feels.
This is a story you can tell is intensely personal for the author which I think gives it so much more power. Sure, it’s a romantic comedy, a love story about young adults, but we also see a lot of both sets of parents in this book which is a little odd of YA fiction. I think this addition makes the book accessible for a wider audience and really gives some depth to the emotions that are playing out.
Should be required reading for anyone with a passion for the arts. Give this book to all the aspiring young artists, writers, and dreamers on your list. I loved that even though we’re watching these characters fall in and out of love we’re also seeing so much more than that. You might pick it up for the romance but you’ll stay for the family drama…and a little bit a guilt.
Where can I buy this book for myself?
You can learn more about Loan Le here on her artist’s page on Amazon. I’ll link to the hardcopy and Kindle copy below!
I borrowed this one from my local library. Thank you DCLS for being an amazing resource and support to my community!
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