Always and Forever, Lara Jean - Book Review

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Author

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?

My Review

Page Count: 325 pgs./9 hrs, 5 mins.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Book 3

I liked this book a lot more than P.S. I Still Love You. The character development really grew in this book, and Lara Jean grew a lot as a person. The family dynamics in this book are wonderful, and I enjoy reading about a happy home. 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean deals with real teenage issues, such as college, long-distance relationships, growing apart, and finding yourself. Lara Jean has to deal with rejection as well as learn how to balance life at home and life at school. 

I appreciated that the author took a more mature approach with Lara Jean in this book. Her relationship troubles are more realistic, and the relationships weren't all sweet smiles and immature issues. This was a very satisfying and enjoyable conclusion in the Lara Jean trilogy. Lara Jean's and Peter's relationship went to a new level, and I enjoyed Peter a lot more than in the last book. He really matured in this novel. 

The narrator for the audiobook, Laura Knight Keating, is very enjoyable to listen to, and she captures Lara Jean perfectly. Go check it out!

Other Books in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Lara Jean 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.

When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say 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. 

P.S. I Still Love You

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

They were just pretending. Until they weren’t. And now Lara Jean has to learn what it’s like to be in a real relationship and not just a make believe one.

But when another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him suddenly return, too.

Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, Lara Jean is about to find out that falling in love is the easy part.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before Movie

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P.S. I Still Love You

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han - ⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

Given the way love turned her heart in the New York Times bestselling To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which SLJ called a “lovely, lighthearted romance,” it’s no surprise that Lara Jean still has letters to write.

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 Times bestseller 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 makes it so amazing.

Awards: 

• APALA Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
• Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
• CBC Children's Choice Book Award Finalist
• ILA Young Adults' Choices
• Kansas State Reading Circle List High School Title

My Review

Page Count: 352 pages/8hrs., 59 mins. 

Genre: YA Romance, YA Contemporary

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I listened to the audiobook on Scribd for the first half of the book. I really enjoy Laura Knight Keating's narration style. She really captures the voice of Lara Jean. This was a quick, easy read, and the story was cute. The plot of the story centers around the aftermath of a whirlwind romance, which doesn't happen too often in contemporary novels. 

This is a sweet, fluffy contemporary, so I didn't go into it thinking it would be a fantastic, five-star book. It definitely would appeal more to teenagers, and Lara Jean is so innocent that you love her and get irritated with her naivety at the same time. The family dynamic is wonderful to read about, though. I really enjoyed reading about a family headed by a single father, and the relationships between the father and his daughters is really beautiful and reminds me of my relationship with my dad. The Song sisters are supportive of each other, confide in each other, and have a strong relationship. 

I wasn't a fan of Peter in the first book, but I was ok with the way it ended. However, Peter really got on my nerves in this story, and I wanted Lara Jean to break up with him and go with the other love interest that was introduced in this book. Peter comes across as the typical jock jerk and, even though he and Lara Jean promised to be open and honest with each other, he hid a lot. I REALLY liked the love interest introduced in this book, but I do think that he was "overly good" compared to Peter, who is definitely depicted as more of a jerk. That being said, I still want Lara Jean to dump Peter. I think I would like him more if he were written in a way that better suited Lara Jean. 

Even though there is a lot of roller coaster relationships and drama in this book, it came across as authentic because they are teenagers. Kitty became kind of a kick-butt girl in this novel, and I really enjoyed her character growth. Lara Jean also grew a lot in this book. I cannot wait to read the next book. 

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before

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

Description from the Publisher

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

Lara Jean’s love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling “lovely, lighthearted romance” (SLJ) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

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.

This paperback edition includes bonus recipes from Lara Jean’s Christmas Cookie Bonanza!

My Review

This book was so cute! Lara Jean is a sweet, innocent girl who gets caught in a love triangle. She is also learning how to deal with new challenges in light and high school. The character development was pretty good in this book; however, none of the characters really grew that much. I gave it a lower rating because Lara Jean, as a narrator, sounded a little too young for her age. I also predicted very early on how Lara Jean's letters got mailed. Overall this is a really sweet book, and I did enjoy reading it. I plan on finishing the trilogy. 

I did listen to most of this book through Audible. The narrator was really good, and I enjoyed listening. 

I highly recommend it for 8th grade and up!

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