I had heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book, but since the film was coming out on Netflix and I wanted something that was easy to get through, I picked it up. I actually liked this book for the reasons that a lot of people probably didn't like it. I had heard that some people were annoyed because Lara Jean often acted like too much of a teenager, but I found that profoundly refreshing. There are so many books out there about teenagers where they talk and act like people in their 30s and 40s. Lara Jean and the rest of the teens in this book feel peer pressure and insecurities that real teens have. They don't think like adults, and it wouldn't make sense if they did, honestly. 

Lara Jean had a collection of letters, each one written to a boy she liked at some point. After her sister Margot leaves to college and moves to Scotland (and breaks up with her boyfriend and neighbor, Josh) her letters go missing. The boys that she wrote them to, including Josh, end up getting them and approach Lara Jean about them. This, of course, is very awkward for her since she is still conflicted about her feelings for Josh since her sister broke up with him. When Josh approaches her about the letter, Lara Jean lies and tells him she is dating Peter, a popular boy that also got a letter from her. Of course to prove this point, she walks up to Peter in front of Josh and kisses him. 

This is a very teenage series of events, but it was super in character for Lara Jean and is something that I could see happening in a high school setting. It may sound silly, but teenagers do stupid things all the time. I could completely see a simple problem that could have easily been resolved by telling the truth being blown out of proportion like this by a teenager. One of the things I appreciated most about the story is that Lara Jean cares about what other people think of her, and that drives a lot of her thought process. Peer pressure is definitely something she experiences, but it's not surprising considering she's in high school. She tries as much as possible not to hurt the people she loves, and that includes her sister Margot, despite her being far away, and Josh. This is largely why she agrees to start a fake relationship with Peter. Peter can make his ex-girlfriend jealous and Lara Jean can get Josh off her back and avoid hurting anyone. Again, a very teenage solution to a simple problem, but not a stretch for realistic teenage behavior.

As I was reading the story, Peter quickly grew to be my favorite character. He's super charming and a really nice guy despite a lot of other character's opinions on him. He and Lara Jean have really funny interactions and he enables her to have fun and get out of her comfort zone. He also starts to appreciate what it's like to have a stable relationship for once and forms a pretty cool bond with Lara Jean's younger sister, Kitty. It's especially ironic because Kitty comes off as someone who is hard to take a liking to new people. The story had really interesting characters and showed how Lara Jean and Peter both changed within their fake to real relationship for the better. Definitely worth picking up if you're looking for something fluffy to read that has some nice family interactions and a funny romantic relationship dynamic. Great slow burn that is worth it.