To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Review

Title: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Series: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

                I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                This book has been on my TBR pile for a long time, but the thing that really made me want to read it was the Netflix film! So, as soon as I was finished with The Ravenous, I figured this book would be the perfect antidote to refresh my literary palate, if you will. I’m a secret sucker for romance novels, especially ones that employ the fake dating trope! But to say this was a romance novel would be doing this book a major disservice. This book was also a book about family, loss, friendship and self-discovery, and I loved every hilarious, sweet and tender moment. I can’t wait to read P.S., I Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean! Jenny Han has become one of my new favorite authors!

                Lara Jean Song Covey is a self-professed romance expert, even though she’s never had a real boyfriend in her life. She writes love letters to the boys she’s had crushes on, as a way to get closure for herself. But when she finds out that the five letters she wrote have been mailed out, life as she knows it is over. Lara Jean hatches a plan with the most popular boy in her class and becomes his fake girlfriend, all to hide the fact that she used to be in love with her big sister, Margot’s, boyfriend, Josh. But things get even more complicated when the fake dating leads Lara Jean to wonder what her heart truly wants: a fantasy, or something real for the first time ever.

                I loved, loved, loved this book! Lara Jean’s voice was frank, fresh, and utterly hilarious. I was immediately captivated, and this book was a perfect antidote to the delicious darkness that was The Ravenous. The pacing was breakneck, and I was laughing through much of the novel. I loved Lara Jean, but the characters that were really amazing were her family: her widower father and her two lovable but quirky and annoying sisters. I loved the bond that the Coveys shared in this book. But one of my favorite things about this book was watching Lara Jean fall in love and grow into a better person. I’m also dying over that cliffhanger ending! The only thing that really bothered me was I felt like it was a bit crappy for LJ to be lusting over her older sister’s boyfriend for years, but it wasn’t a total dealbreaker. This book might be a favorite of recent years, and I’m so excited to read the next two books in this sweet, heartwarming trilogy! Romance novels for the win, folks! The bottom line: Warm, funny, sweet and surprising, I loved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before! Next on deck: Amber and Dusk by Lyra Selene!