To All the Boys I've Loved Before & Love, Simon - A.K.A. - Kevin's education in Rom-Coms

Kevin and I have a lot of shows that we watch together but most of the time when there’s nothing we both want to see he puts on his sci-fi/war movies and I read a book.

He prefers when I read because otherwise I don’t pay any attention to the movie for the first 1/2-1 hour then something grabs my attention and I ask 100 questions so I can get up to speed and he calls me the peanut gallery. lol

This past weekend I really wanted to watch to All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Kevin was home. I was thinking – should I make him watch it or just wait until next week when I’m alone and don’t have to see him roll his eyes?? Then I remembered a few years ago the Princess Diaries was on and he started watching it and wouldn’t let me change the channel so I thought we’d give it a go.

And just to go full out on this YA romcom weekend - we watched Love, Simon (which I’ve already seen) after.

The big takeaway is that Kevin doesn’t understand the rules of Rom-Coms. He keeps wanting a different outcome lol But like me, he picks his ships early and sticks to them to the bitter end.

But he did like both movies and what follows is our viewing experience…A.K.A. as Kevin’s education in Rom-Coms…

***THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Netflix

The gist: Someone sends Lara Jean’s secret love letters to boys she’s crushed on are released and she agrees to a fake relationship with the popular jock – Peter Kavinsky so that he can make his ex girlfriend jealous and so that things don’t get awkward with another recipient – Josh – Lara Jean’s older sisters newly ex boyfriend.

Here we go!



~ Kevin loves the Covey family and we covet their house. Kevin wants their kitchen & I want their yard.

~ Lara Jean’s sister breaks up with the boy next door, and Lara Jean’s crush, Josh.

~ LJ’s love letters to the boys she’s loved have been released into the world, including one to Josh. he starts looking at Lara Jean differently and wants to talk to her. She avoids him.

~ Kevin is hooked. He likes Josh.

~ Then we meet Peter (one of the letter recipients). He’s a bit cocky and dating someone else – who is a bitch to Lara Jean. Peter is kinda spineless about it.

~ We hit our first speed bump…

~ Kevin: She ends up with Josh right? Peter is a jerk.

~ Oh how cute….Kevin has his first ship…and it’s going to sink.

Sinking Ship GIF from Sinking GIFs

~ I had to break it to him and he started coming around to Peter with him being all cute with the notes, the movie watching scene with LJ’s little sister, their conversation about their parents.

~ I comment on how Lara jean is so effortlessly cute all the time – Kevin likes her boots.

~ We both love how she’s shy but still stands up for herself and asks for what she wants.

~ Then…the ski trip.

~ So the cute/sexy things happens – we’re happy – we’re both Team Peter now.

~ Then we’re not.

~ Kevin: Ok, so now this means they don’t stay together right?? That’s unforgivable!

~ Poor sweet naive Kevin. I need to explain how Rom-Com's – TEEN Rom-Coms - work before he gets his heart broken.

~ Because I understand this is part of the process –the meet cute, the misunderstanding, the dark moment, growth, the big gesture, HFN/HEA

~ But Kevin is having NONE OF THAT!

~ Peter makes a few tentative steps towards explaining things and forgiveness.

~ Kevin: NOPE

~ Me: But…things weren’t what we thought.

~ Kevin: NOPE – he could have just said that then.

~ Me: But... then there’s no plot – no conflict – no movie.

~ Kevin: NOPE

~Fast forward to the growth, the grand gesture, the HEA/HFN and he grudgingly accepts it and admits that he even loved the movie but is still not Team Peter. So overall - Yay!

~ Then there’s that mid-credits scene…

~ Kevin: So she ends up with THAT boy???

~ Me: Oh Kevin…you’re hopeless

via GIPHY

So anyway – I really loved this movie! The hype was real. The acting and the casting were perfect. I know Noah Centineo  (Peter- aka teen Mark Ruffalo) is getting all the attention right now but how awesome was Lana Condor as Lara Jean??? I mean – she was PERFECT. The mannerisms, the tiny facial ticks that expressed so much emotion. This girl needs to be in all the movies!

I would LOVE to see more movies like this! It was fun but smart and sweet!!


So I feel like Kevin has a basic grasp of the ins & outs of a YA Rom-Com and can handle Love, Simon, which I’ve seen already and own on DVD…

The gist:  Simon is gay but not out to anyone yet. He starts up an email friendship/relationship with another gay boy who is also not out yet and won’t reveal his identity but calls himself “Blue”. Simon spends most of the movie trying to find out who Blue is by connecting the dots from their conversations with different boys he meets throughout the film.There’s also blackmail and family/friendship drama as a consequence.


~ Opening scene is of Simon and his friends car pooling to school – stopping by Starbucks to get their coffee first…

~ Kevin: teens drink coffee before school now? (we’re old) then laughs hysterically imagining what I would be like going to school jacked up on caffeine – then crashing 3 hours later with no way to get another cup.

~ Simon is with his beautiful family in the kitchen. We start wondering how every YA kid comes from a  rich, gorgeous, funny family. And both Simon and Lara Jean have GORGEOUS bedrooms!

~ I’m an adult making money and I will never have a bedroom that nice.

~ So Simon is now emailing with Blue and thinks he knows who it is.

~ Kevin: Is that boy Blue?

~ Me: I decide to hold firm this time and not let him know who the OTP (one true person) is yet. He doesn’t take it well.

~ Stuff happens, first dude might not be the dude…for reasons…so Simon considers other guys.

~Kevin starts shipping one of them.

~ Poor, poor Kevin. picks the wrong dude AGAIN!

~Do I tell him? Nah…I’ll wait. Boy has to learn how to do this on his own.

 ~Now Simon is being blackmailed and Kevin wants to know if asshole dude pays for it in the end. Sort of?? Maybe?? Depends on your definition. Kevin wants to know exactly what happens NOW. The real bad stuff hasn’t even happened yet but Kevin is already filled with rage on Simon’s behalf. lol

~ All hell breaks loose - and being vague – there is fallout. Kevin is a little irritated at Simon for throwing people under the bus. He thinks he could have told a certain person something while he was telling that certain person something else.

~ He’s being a peanut gallery now constantly questioning how all this turns out.

~ I’m a tad annoyed.

~ So this is what it’s like when I talk through his movies. Huh…I might try to scale that back now that I know what it's like on the receiving end.

~ I have to break the news about his ship again because he wasn’t letting it go.

~Not his first choice but he likes who it is and he’s handling it better than the Peter incident.

~Fast forward to the BIG moment. We both think it’s super cute and John Hughes-ish but wish it was done a quieter way because Blue was always trying to stay private but it’s ok.

~Back to a repeat of the carpool/coffee getting scene from the beginning. Kevin wants to know why Leah is sitting in the front seat. Isn’t this supposed to be a HEA Rom-Com ending?? Where’s Blue?

~I’m a little teary eyed now because he’s learning!

~ Wait for it Kevin…waaaait for it.

~ Ok – he’s happy now – even though he’s pissed that you know you didn’t pay a big enough price.

Despite having his ships sink – he liked TAtBILB a little better but loved them both - especially the both Simon and Lara Jean's families.


I watched The Kissing Booth – also on Netflix - by myself the next day and THANK GOD! Kevin would have had feelings about that one and would have ended up hating everyone! lol

Have you guys watched these movies yet? And what are your favorite Rom-Coms? 

And more importantly - can anyone agree on the spelling of Rom-Coms??? Is it Rom-Coms? romcom?