The movie was good but sure doesn’t beat the first one. It just isn’t as exciting, is really predictable, and overall cheesy (but not an overbearing extent). It starts off right where the last movie left it, which is a little hard to get back to that unless you watch the first movie right before. Lara Jean and Peter are adjusting to being an actual couple, and the awkwardness feels very relatable and real when coming into a new relationship, especially being her first one. After their first date at a nice restaurant, Lara Jean takes Peter to let go of Chinese lanterns with a wish they paint on it. But Lara Jean puts, “LJ loves PK” because she doesn’t want their relationship to end, and begins to doubt things. As they paint, they promise to never break each other’s hearts. Which this point almost hints that it is bound to happen. 

Through the movie, Lara Jean makes a lot of very real points that people deal with like overthinking, insecurity, and jealousy. All of those things come to the surface in their relationship along with a past crush which alters the “Peter and Lara Jean breaking each other’s hearts promise.” Lara Jean receives a letter from John Ambros, a childhood crush in which she hasn’t thought about since her sister sent out her secret love letters. But when she gets it she becomes to question the feelings she may have deep down for John. She faces some struggles as when she goes to volunteer, John happens to be volunteering at the same place. This sparks even more confusion in her mind, and as she tells Peter, she avoids talking about what is on her mind. But deep down she is still insecure about Gen, Peter’s ex-girlfriend, who wouldn’t be. I mean Gen has always made an effort to hurt Lara Jean since the last movie. 

John Ambros and Lara Jean plan a small party of their old group of childhood friends to open up a time capsule they buried when they were young. But Lara Jean doesn’t want to invite Gen, but somehow she ends up knowing and shows up, because guess what? Peter invited her! Wowwww big shock. They open the time capsule and then later it leads to Peter getting mad because Lara Jean didn’t ask him to bring the pizza, so stupid but I mean they are dating….but John Ambros didn’t know that which I think was a really bad thing on Lara’s part. Lara Jean later finds out that Peter has been close and talking to Gen, and she confronts him. But when she talks to him she finds out that (the hot tub scene….think back…the ski trip) Peter was never waiting for Lara Jean, but he was waiting for Gen. If she has never come out there, their relationship would have never happened, and that was why Gen took the video of them making out and posted it, but Peter had denied that it was Gen even despite knowing. As we think back to the last movie everything seemed so good as it ended, but really their relationship was built off of a lie, which watching this scene was pretty heartbreaking for me. This was the most real scene here. They then go to break up and go their separate ways.

Lara Jean ends up meeting with Gen in the treehouse to tell her how she wasn’t jealous of Peter but more of her because they used to be such good friends, but Gen admits to her that Peter has been talking to her about her parents getting a divorce due to him going through it. Like I totally understand but still…a lot of parents get divorced, but I am sure there were plenty of other people she could have talked to. Lara Jean is supposed to attend a party for the people she is volunteering for but is not in the mood. But the lady her sister was close with, Stormy helps her get ready for the party in an old fashioned, oh so Lara Jean, dress. She tells her that sometimes you have to kiss the wrong man to know what’s right. Which is oh so very true! She goes out to serve push with John Ambros and all of the oldies and elders encourage them to dance together in which they do. They walk outside into the snow and end up kissing. Emedietly Lara Jean knows that it isn’t right, and goes to find Peter. The cheesy scene, but as she walks outside he is walking up the steps and says, “I knew you didn’t like driving in the snow.” Then Peter apologizes and says that he just wants her blah blah But…THEN… Lara Jean admits that she loves Peter, even though he broke her heart she knew deep down. They magically walk away to the childhood playset they used to hang out in and somehow there is no more snow? I thought that was the weirdest part of the whole movie, to be honest. 

Overall, pretty good, a bit too cheesy for my taste. I do recommend you to watch it, but it is for sure a classic teenage romance. Lots of good music and quotes though! I guess we will see how the next movie goes. Always and forever, Isabella McAllister….I mean Lara Jean, oops.