The last standalones post of the year and it’s definitely been the year of standalones for me. I think half of my reads this year have been standalones and I’ve really been neglecting series, I’m hoping to change this in the new year.
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
I love a good contemporary romance with a food theme and A Pho Love Story definitely delivers on that front. It also has a slight Romeo and Juliet vibe to it that is really fun. The stakes aren’t quite so high though and there is no death, but it’s still a great read.
ARC Review: A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
Synopsis: If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favourite employee. Not ideal.
If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.
For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighbouring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.
But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.
Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
It is surprising how much I enjoyed this book considering I listened to the audiobook. I do like audiobooks, but I struggle with focus. However, this one worked pretty well. I think because it was a mystery thriller it was completely gripping and it’s a pretty fun (minus the murder and what not) read.
Synopsis: Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.
The town is picture-perfect, but it’s hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone’s declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she’s in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous–and most people aren’t good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it’s safest to keep your secrets to yourself.
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