To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Secret love letters sent, a fake relationship formed, real feelings discovered
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the fake dating romance that charmed millions. Lara Jean writes love letters to her crushes and hides them in a hatbox. When her little sister mails them all, Lara Jean's secret feelings become public. To save face, she enters a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky, her childhood crush's ex-boyfriend. Naturally, fake becomes real.
Han writes with warmth and specificity. Lara Jean's Korean-American family, her love of baking, her relationship with her sisters, all feel lived-in and real. The romance with Peter is sweet and age-appropriate, full of small gestures and genuine affection.
What makes it beloved is how wholesome it is without being boring. The stakes are real for a teenager: social survival, family dynamics, first love. The romance is swoon-worthy without being over-the-top. It's comfort food in book form.
Secret love letters sent, a fake relationship formed, real feelings discovered
Begin your storyFree. 15 minutes. No account needed.
What readers search for when they look for books like To All the Boys
You want sweet, age-appropriate YA romance. First love that feels real, relationships that develop through small moments rather than grand gestures. The kind of book that makes you remember what it felt like to have a crush, to hold hands in the hallway, to fall for someone who sees you.
You're drawn to fake dating setups that become real. The structure of pretending for an audience and realizing the feelings aren't pretend at all. The moment when the fake relationship feels more honest than anything else.
What you're craving is family alongside romance. Stories where siblings matter, where parental relationships are complicated but loving, where the protagonist's identity is shaped by more than just the love interest. Romance nested in a full, believable life.
Book recommendations
The Hating Game
by Sally Thorne
Adult contemporary with a similar enemies-to-lovers and workplace tension. If you loved the banter and slow burn of Lara Jean and Peter, this delivers that with more steam.
Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
A girl sent to boarding school in Paris falls for a charming boy with a girlfriend. YA contemporary with the same swoony, slow-burn romance.
Tweet Cute
by Emma Lord
Two teens running rival restaurants' social media accounts are also anonymous chat friends. Cute, contemporary, with the same wholesome romance and family dynamics.
The Sun Is Also a Star
by Nichole Yoon
A Jamaican-American girl facing deportation and a Korean-American boy meet and fall in love in one day. YA contemporary with cultural specificity and emotional depth.
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
The original fake animosity hiding real attraction. If you loved the banter and slow burn of Lara Jean and Peter, meet Elizabeth and Darcy.
Common questions
Is To All the Boys appropriate for younger readers?
Yes. It's clean YA with no explicit content. The romance is age-appropriate for middle school and up. It's one of the most accessible contemporary YA romances.
How does the book compare to the Netflix movies?
The movies soften some edges and age up the characters slightly, but they're faithful adaptations. If you loved the movies, the books offer more internal character development and family dynamics.
Should I read the whole trilogy?
If you love Lara Jean and Peter, yes. The series follows their relationship through high school and into college decisions. Each book adds depth and challenges to their romance.
Related tropes
Common in these genres
Ready for your story? Imagine living it.
Want first love that feels like coming home? Ember builds you into sweet romances where the relationship develops through small, real moments. Where fake dating becomes the most honest thing in your life, where the person you're pretending with is the one who sees you completely.
Begin your story