P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han (2015)

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han was published in 2015 as the second installment in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy. The novel picks up immediately after the events of the first book, chronicling the emotional aftermath of Lara Jean Song Covey’s newfound relationship with Peter Kavinsky. Navigating the complexities of love, jealousy, and reputation in the age of social media, Jenny Han crafts a deeply heartfelt continuation of Lara Jean’s journey through young adulthood, love, and identity.

Plot Summary

On New Year’s Day, Lara Jean Song Covey is full of nervous hope. In her coat pocket rests a letter, one written to Peter Kavinsky – not just any boy, but the boy who kissed her in a hot tub, the boy she can’t get out of her head. The letter is an apology and a plea, an attempt to mend what was broken. As her family celebrates the holiday in traditional Korean fashion, Lara Jean’s thoughts never stray far from Peter. She decides not to wait, not to let another moment slip by, and so she goes to his house.

Peter is distant, colder than she remembers, and her courage falters. She hesitates to hand him the letter, but when he snatches it from her, reads it, and realizes how much she still cares, everything shifts. Peter tells her he was waiting for her to call, and just like that, with a smile and a kiss, they are no longer pretending. They are real. They write a new contract, one filled with promises – to be truthful, to make time, to be careful with each other’s hearts.

Things feel like they are falling into place, but the past has sharp edges. A video surfaces on Instagram, a grainy clip of Lara Jean and Peter in the hot tub. To outsiders, it looks like they are having sex. It spreads quickly, gathering views and ugly comments. Her heart races with shame, and she feels exposed, betrayed by whoever stood hidden in the shadows that night, watching. She reports the video, but the damage lingers. Lara Jean’s carefully curated world – her family, her reputation, her quiet dreams – begins to wobble.

At school, whispers follow her. Peter tries to help, but he’s entangled in his own complications. His lingering closeness to his ex-girlfriend Genevieve stirs insecurity in Lara Jean’s heart. Genevieve is not just a former flame – she’s a presence that hovers, too often unexplained, too often protected by Peter. Lara Jean wonders if she can compete with a history that long, a bond that deep.

Then comes a letter. Another boy from her past, John Ambrose McClaren, writes back. He is one of the recipients of her long-lost love letters, and he’s curious, gentle, and kind. Their letters blossom into something warmer, something wistful. He volunteers at the same retirement home where Lara Jean works, and soon, their lives begin to intertwine. He doesn’t carry the same emotional weight as Peter. With John, everything feels lighter – simple, like the way Lara Jean always imagined love might be.

Peter notices. He tries harder, brings her flowers, takes her out, but the shadow of Genevieve is never far. Lara Jean learns that Peter still sees her, still talks to her, and not always honestly. The secrecy hurts more than the truth might have. The strain grows, and when Lara Jean finds out that Peter was the one who went to Genevieve’s side the day the hot tub video went viral, not her, something inside her dims.

The snow begins to fall, and a time capsule Lara Jean once buried with her childhood friends is unearthed. The group – Peter, John, Genevieve, Chris, and Trevor – gathers for one night of nostalgia. They play their old games, share old jokes, and for a moment, they are all the same kids who once ran through backyards and hid secrets in jars. But even there, the cracks show. Genevieve’s glances at Peter, Lara Jean’s tightening jaw, John’s patient gaze – all say what no one dares to speak.

Soon after, Lara Jean and Peter drift. The silences grow longer, the hurt heavier. On Valentine’s Day, he leaves a poem in her locker – but it’s not his own. When she finds out it was lifted from Edgar Allan Poe, something silly and small, it feels like another betrayal. Peter Kavinsky is slowly slipping out of reach.

At Belleview, the retirement home, Lara Jean and John build something tender. They dress up for a formal party, dance under soft lights, and for a moment, Lara Jean wonders if this is the boy who might truly see her. But even as John leans in for a kiss, she hesitates. Her heart, confused and worn, knows it isn’t his to claim.

The night unravels when Lara Jean discovers that Genevieve was the one who submitted the hot tub video. She had been seeking revenge, driven by her own heartbreak, and Peter knew. He kept her secret out of loyalty, or guilt, or perhaps confusion. Lara Jean confronts Genevieve, and the truth stings more than she expected. It isn’t just about Peter anymore. It’s about growing up, letting go of childhood alliances, and realizing that some friendships were never meant to last.

In the quiet after the storm, Lara Jean reflects on what it means to love – not just to fall in love, but to stay. She returns Peter’s necklace to him, thinking they are done. But he shows up at her house, holding out the locket she once wore, and asks her to be his girl – for real this time. He tells her he’s done with secrets, done with half-truths. He wants Lara Jean. Only her.

She says yes.

They kiss in the doorway, winter air curling around them. There’s no contract this time. Just a feeling, a certainty that this messy, imperfect, beautiful thing between them is worth fighting for. No more pretending. No more past. Just Lara Jean and Peter, right now, and maybe, if they’re careful, for a little longer still.

Main Characters

• Lara Jean Song Covey: Lara Jean is a gentle, introspective, and highly sentimental teenager whose romantic ideals shape much of her worldview. In this installment, her character deepens as she contends with public embarrassment, romantic uncertainty, and lingering insecurities. Her desire for authentic love is countered by her fear of heartbreak, and throughout the novel, she learns to assert herself more confidently, embracing both vulnerability and strength.
• Peter Kavinsky: Peter is the charming and popular lacrosse player who unexpectedly becomes the center of Lara Jean’s affections. His affable personality and genuine affection for Lara Jean contrast with his emotional immaturity and entanglement with his ex, Genevieve. Peter’s struggle lies in reconciling his past with his present, and his arc reflects a journey toward emotional honesty and commitment.
• John Ambrose McClaren: Introduced as another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, John is thoughtful, articulate, and reminiscent of Lara Jean’s romantic ideals. Unlike Peter, he exudes a quieter charm and serves as a foil, reigniting questions in Lara Jean about what kind of love she truly desires. His presence complicates her feelings, offering a look at paths not taken.
• Kitty Song Covey: Lara Jean’s younger sister, Kitty, remains precocious, witty, and emotionally astute. Her meddling nature continues to influence Lara Jean’s romantic life, and she serves as a grounding presence with comic relief and surprising wisdom.
• Margot Song Covey: As the eldest Song sister, Margot represents logic and maturity. Returning briefly from college, her storyline with her ex-boyfriend Josh mirrors Lara Jean’s own romantic dilemmas and adds nuance to the themes of change and letting go.
• Genevieve: Peter’s ex-girlfriend and Lara Jean’s former friend, Genevieve is a source of insecurity and conflict. Her ambiguous motivations and emotional manipulation are central to the tension between Lara Jean and Peter, and she represents the complexity of evolving female friendships.

Theme

• Love and First Heartbreak: At the heart of the novel is the question of what real love feels like. Lara Jean navigates the joy and pain of falling for someone, experiencing heartbreak not just in romantic terms but in confronting how fleeting feelings can be. The love triangle challenges her to understand what kind of love is most meaningful – safe and idealized or passionate and imperfect.
• Identity and Reputation: The viral video of Lara Jean in a hot tub with Peter acts as a symbol for how quickly a girl’s identity can be reshaped by rumor and perception. Jenny Han thoughtfully critiques the double standards of teenage sexuality and the social consequences girls face for behavior perceived as provocative, even when it’s innocent.
• The Past vs. The Present: Lara Jean must reconcile nostalgia with current reality. Through her interactions with John Ambrose and her memories of Josh, she examines how past feelings often linger and shape present decisions. The motif of time – past love letters, old friends, former selves – plays heavily into her emotional growth.
• Sisterhood and Female Friendship: The Song sisters’ bond is foundational. Margot and Kitty are Lara Jean’s moral compass and emotional support system. The novel also delves into the dissolution of her friendship with Genevieve, examining how female friendships can be complex, competitive, and deeply painful to lose.
• Self-Discovery and Growing Up: This novel is a coming-of-age narrative as much as it is a romance. Lara Jean confronts the demands of adulthood, self-respect, and emotional risk. Her journey is not about choosing the right boy, but about choosing to be brave enough to follow her heart and face the consequences.

Writing Style and Tone

Jenny Han’s writing is warm, deeply personal, and evocatively intimate. She crafts Lara Jean’s voice with a kind of softness that feels like a private journal entry, full of lush emotional detail and youthful musings. The prose is often poetic in its simplicity, using Lara Jean’s reflections as a lens for broader emotional truths. Dialogue is crisp and authentic, with a keen ear for the rhythms of teenage conversation.

The tone of P.S. I Still Love You balances gentle humor with sincere emotional depth. While the atmosphere retains the cozy charm of the first book, this sequel leans further into emotional conflict and introspection. The narrative voice remains honest and tender, often touched with melancholy or longing. Han excels at creating a tone that is contemplative yet hopeful, filled with the quiet intensity of adolescent feeling.