To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Series: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #1
Published by: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: April 15, 2014
Pages: 355
Format: hardcover | Source: Purchased
Genres: young adult, contemporary, romance
Rating: 

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

I finished it and I loved it (and I read it a second time this year). My goodness!!! This was wonderful for so many reasons. It was relatable, real, heartfelt, adorable, romantic, funny. The writing had such a lovely quality too. The Song sisters reminded me of the March sisters 🙂 Their relationship with each other and their dad was the best. I loved all of their traditions and their banter. I loved how wordly Kitty was haha! She was super funny. I of course thought the Harry Potter Halloween was the best thing ever. Expelliarmus! I loved the tactile feel of the words and the feelings, the coziness of Lara Jean’s life. I loved the cookies and how she made friends with Peter’s friends, and the idea behind her letters. And I really REALLY adored Peter. I really do need the next book now and I need it to end perfectly ❤ I have a theory about something too… (spoiler alert: I was right!).
    

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Series: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #2
Published by: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: May 26, 2015
Pages: 337
Format: hardcover | Source: Library
Genres: young adult, contemporary, romance
Rating:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Timesbestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Not quite as charming or whimsical as the first book but I really enjoyed it. Kitty continues to be SO funny and I liked Margot a lot more! Lara Jean is such a winsome character and this was the rare book where the love interests aren’t necessarily better or worse than each other, just different. Calling to different parts of her. I liked Stormy at the senior center and how Lara Jean navigated her feelings for John and for Peter. It was also really interesting to learn more about their dynamic as middle school friends, with Gen and Chris too. They all have so much history with one another and I like that the book is just as much about friendships and family (and baking!) as relationships.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Series: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #3
Published by: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: May 12, 2017
Pages: 336
Format: hardcover | Source: Library
Genres: young adult, contemporary, romance
Rating:

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

A wonderful conclusion to a trilogy I never knew I needed! I think it’s rare for a standalone to grow into a duology and then a trilogy and not feel like filler. I appreciated Lara Jean’s growth, seeing her different struggles, and seeing parts of my high school life reflected in hers. It made me think about my sister too and when I left for college, how she might have felt. The added plot of her dad’s wedding was welcome and while I wasn’t surprised at the trajectory of Lara Jean’s path to college I think it’s so important to show how many different experiences there are; your first choice doesn’t always work out but that doesn’t mean the second choice is lesser or worse. Life twists and turns, and you end up where you are supposed to in the end. I also thought that for most of the book, Peter was the BEST! So adorable, such a cute boyfriend, just genuinely caring and thoughtful. I loved his friendship with Kitty and I loved his relationship with Lara Jean.  It hit some bumps but that’s what I like about Jenny Han’s writing- she shows that even the perfect relationships aren’t perfect. I wish Margot’s boyfriend had made another appearance and the ending felt a little… anticlimactic but I’m happy to imagine where Lara Jean’s life will end up in the future.

Have you read the Lara Jean trilogy yet? Which was your favorite book of the three?