P.S. I Still Love You (2) (To All the Boys I've Loved Before)

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han is such a cute and feel-good read. I loved being inside Lara Jean’s head again — her thoughts are so sweet, funny, and relatable. One of my favorite parts of the story was seeing her struggle between two really great guys. It felt real and messy in the best way, and it was easy to understand why she was torn. Plus, the addition of the assassin game throughout the book was so much fun! It was such a creative way to show the characters interacting and gave the story a playful vibe.The whole book just had such a cozy, heartwarming feel to it. It’s the kind of story that makes you smile without even realizing it. Jenny Han does such a great job capturing the highs and lows of being a teenager, and I loved how light and charming the whole book felt. Definitely a perfect pick if you’re in the mood for a sweet young adult romance.

It's always interesting to enter the realm of Book 2 in a series. Sometimes, I hesitate and wonder if it will live up to the expectation, anticipation, and love of the first book. However, I have to give the author kudos for keeping true to her main characters but giving them diversity in their second-book storyline. Jenny Han kept the evolution of her characters on the same fun, goofy, relatable rollercoaster ride, and I loved every millisecond of it!Lara Jean's character matures in a lot of ways throughout this book. Development of her feelings for Peter, her sidetracked emotions for John, and her devotion to her sisters offered wonderful and surprising twists and turns throughout the whole story.I know there will be some hardcore Peter fans and some John fans as well after reading this second installment. To be honest, I'm a bit torn with how things turned out myself. Lara Jean handled the situation with Peter and Gen much better than I imagined she would, or anybody for that matter. I could completely understand her side of things. She asked for honesty, and although I think she's correct that she allowed her jealousy and comparison of herself to Gen to motivate some of her feelings and actions, I believe that Peter's character held some of the blame as well.Anyone would be hurt to see how much Gen still relies on Peter and how often he goes running to her aid. While I applaud Peter for his sensitivity and loyalty, I do see Lara Jean's point of wanting honesty and not to feel as if she comes in second in his life. She made some very good points, which I feel a lot of people in similar relationships would also argue.Even though I see Peter's dedication and kindness, I think he could have stood to get a clue sooner. He could have at least let Lara Jean know when he was going to see Gen. He could have been as upfront as possible about the situation, even if he couldn't share Gen's secret. I do agree with Lara Jean that Gen is manipulative and could have been using her family issues as a way to hold onto Peter. Therefore, being honest with Lara Jean would have gone a long way. I suppose I'm laying out all of this because it helps me make my next case a little easier as well.John Ambrose McClaren.First, his name is definitely rememberable, lol. I liked the introduction to his character. The pen-pal relationship he and Lara Jean established was adorable. It was nice that they were becoming friends, and it was sweet to find out he'd had a crush on her too (and still does).Second, he was a beautiful character. I loved his intentions, consideration, and assistance to Lara Jean with the USO dance. Their snow fight was kinda cliche, but fun to read.Last, there's a small part of me that wishes she would have given John more of a chance. Their relationship would have been nice to see. I like Peter, don't get me wrong, but I felt it would have added more to the story if she'd been able to move forward with John. It would have felt better, I speculate, if she'd given Peter the chance to really move on from Gen as well as see Lara Jean's point of view a little more clearly.In a lot of ways, I think John and Lara Jean had a lot more in common. Their hard-work and appreciation of academics was one point of common ground as well as their past friendship. They enjoyed the other's humor and could talk about things fairly easily. They both helped out at the retirement community, and he was making an effort to be considerate and friendly with Kitty, who liked Peter better. Plus, there wasn't an ex-girlfriend dogging their every move, videotaping and releasing a private moment to the whole school/public, and who wasn't trying to come between the two of them every chance she got. So, they really had a better start at the very least.I know die-hard fans of Peter would disagree, and I'm up for those opinions. I'm not unhappy with the ending of the book or the direction Jenny Han took it. I still loved it for what it was, and I do love Peter. I guess there's just a small part of me that hoped for a little more opportunity for the characters to grow, even if it was away from each other for a little while (or more than what the book gave us).Still, I loved this book, I'm satisfied with the ending, and I would still reread it until it fell apart. I love all of the characters and enjoyed their personalities and humor. I'm already in Book 3 as I type this, and I'm hoping for even more good things. :)

While this book stays true to the first book's charm, there isn’t much that feels new, just more of Lara Jean’s romantic turmoil as she navigates her relationship with Peter and the unexpected reappearance of John Ambrose McClaren.The novel is full of emotions, from the highs of young love to the insecurities and heartbreaks that come with it. Lara Jean's inner conflicts are relatable, and her growth, while subtle, is realistic. The love triangle adds tension, but at times, it feels predictable. Still, Jenny Han’s writing keeps you engaged, making you eager to see what the next book holds.I enjoyed the first book, and this one gave me more of the same heartfelt moments, teenage drama, and swoon-worthy romance. I’m curious to see where Lara Jean’s story goes from here!

Beware, there are some spoilery bits here.Oh my gosh, this book gave me ALL THE FEELS.This book was such a big deal for so many reasons. The biggest one for me though was that this was a YA book where we finally got to watch a relationship unfold within the novel. It didn't end once the characters got together - we actually go to see the characters together and that is SUCH big deal! More often than not, the book ends right when the characters get together and while it's fun to read how the characters get there, it's so nice (and necessary!) to see a book that actually chronicles the ups and downs of a relationship. Lara Jean and Peter aren't perfect but we got to see them be together. And that was so amazing. Ugh. So amazing.Okay, now that I'm done fangirling over that aspect...I loved this book MUCH more than the first one. I don't know why but it just felt bigger and better. I feel like from the first book to this one Lara Jean's voice got so much... older? In To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I felt like Lara Jean was 12-14 years old, not a 16 year old. But in this one, I felt she sounded her age. Of course, she had a lot of growing to do throughout the course of the book but still.Although I always wanted to get past all the family stuff and straight to Lara Jean and her boy problems, I did like the family aspects. While Kitty always got on my nerves, I felt like this book series is about more than just relationship love - it's about family love and friendship love and those are two very important loves in life.Lara Jean grew SO much from the beginning of the first novel. She used to be judgmental and it was so nice for her to grow and learn that things aren't always so black and white. Of course, I wanted a little bit more from her when she was confronted with the "THAT kind of girl" (aka slutty girl) stereotype, for lack of a better word, but it just wasn't fitting of her character. Of course, she had some internal dialog about it which was nice so I can't knock her for that. I just always want to see girls confront the double standard and shame people who try to force it on them.In the first novel, I wasn't a big Kavinsky fan but within a few pages of this book, I definitely joined the fanclub. He was such a fun and realistic YA boyfriend! He was flawed and LJ pointed out these flaws, but he was still an amazing boyfriend and their relationship felt so authentic... I still can't get over it. These two definitely set the bar high for other YA relationships.I was also a fan of John, not gonna lie. I'm not usually a fan of multiple love interests at the same time because a) they're executed poorly, b) done for the sake of "drama", or c) way too one-sided, but I felt the connection between LJ and John was authentic. Plus, it was super cute. For awhile, I was rooting for him and I still am but for now, I'm completely happy with LJ and Peter. (Also, please note, I LOVE when Peter said LJ wasn't his first but she was still special because he loved her now. I feel like that's SO IMPORTANT in life and YA. She may not have been his first but that didn't mean he loved her any less. Ugh. SO CUTE).Love this novel. So much. Ugh.