What happened in To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Recaptains

The basics

Title: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1

- To All the Boys I've Loved Before (August 2014)
- P.S. I Still Love You (May 2015)

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Goodreads Summary:

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for every boy she's ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control...

Read a full summary of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han below. If you can’t remember what happened in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.

in short

Lara Jean wrote a bunch of love letters to help her get over guys. Someone (Kitty) sends them out to the guys. One goes to Peter and one goes to Josh, Lara Jean’s sister’s ex-boyfriend. Peter agrees to fake-date Lara Jean, but their feelings GET. REAL. and they slowly start to fall for each other. Josh kisses Lara Jean, who is like NOPE, and that should have been the end of it but Margot finds out when she returns from university for Christmas. Margot and Lara Jean fall out for a bit but make up again in the end. Peter and Lara Jean break up fo’ realz because someone spread a rumour about the two of them having sex in a hot tub and Lara Jean got upset. The book ends with Lara Jean starting a love letter addressed to Peter. THEN IT JUST ENDS. JUST LIKE THAT.

what happened in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

• Lara Jean’s sister Margot breaks up with Josh because she’s off to Scotland and their mum said that you shouldn’t have a boyfriend in college. Since Margot is the one who remembers their mum the best out of the three girls, she takes her advice very seriously.
• The Song girls’ mum died after falling in the kitchen and hitting her head.
• Lara Jean sees Josh crying in the driveway while talking to Margot. Aw.
• Margot goes to Scotland for college, leaving Lara Jean in charge and with her car, which Lara Jean promptly crashes then called Josh for help. Kavinsky shows up before Josh does, and he and Lara Jean have a little banter before he leaves to see his girlfriend. Josh turns up and helps Lara Jean out.
• Lara Jean gets into yet another fight with her little sister, Kitty.
• Somehow Lara Jean’s love letters get posted out to the guys. Peter Kavinsky receives his and seems fairly thrilled. Josh also receives one and starts to question exactly when Lara Jean stopped having feelings for him. Lara Jean tells Josh that she’s dating Peter, whom she launches herself at in the hallway.
• From then on, Peter and Lara Jean pretend to date, because Peter just broke up with Gen and Lara Jean is in need of a cover.
• Lara Jean’s letter to a guy from church camp gets returned unopened THANK GOD. But one reaches Lucas, who tells Lara Jean that she’s lovely but he’s gay. Fair enough.
• Peter and Lara Jean get closer and closer. It’s adorable, and it turns out that Peter isn’t so bad after all. Lara Jean gets along really well with the lacrosse team.
• Lots of hanging out happens with Peter and Lara Jean, including antique hunting, baking, a party, a diner, and all sorts of adorable things.
• Kitty and Lara Jean set up the Christmas tree. While Kitty is upstairs, Josh kisses Lara Jean. WHAT. HDU. Lara Jean is like, mate, what are you doing? She realises she’s no longer in love with him and the entire fandom of Larter shippers cheer.
• Kitty tells Margot about Lara Jean and Peter. Of course, Margot is judgemental and doesn’t approve.
• Lara Jean is talked into going on a ski trip with a bunch of people from high school, plus teachers. They go, and first of all she and Peter get into a bit of a fight because she doesn’t sit next to him on the coach (leaving GEN to sit next to him instead), and then they make up and make out in the hot tub.
• The next day, someone has spread a rumour about Lara Jean and Peter having sex in the hot tub (which totally did NOT happen) and Lara Jean gets upset, especially once Gen tells her that she and Peter will always have a thing, and then Chris tells her that Peter hasn’t exactly been denying the rumours.
• Lara Jean breaks up with Peter and also breaks my heart.

how did To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before end?

There’s a Christmas recital at the Covey-Song house, and Peter and Josh both show up. Margot overhears Peter saying something to Josh about him kissing Lara Jean and Margot is like NOOOOOO HDU at Lara Jean (but not at Josh?). Margot and Lara Jean fall out of a bit but they soon make up because they’re sisters. Kitty confesses to having sent out the letters to everyone to spite Lara Jean which was rude and hurtful and also a little predictable. Kitty gives Lara Jean her notes from Peter, which Kitty saved because she’s the best sister ever. Then Lara Jean sets out to write a love letter to Peter. THEN IT ENDS.

This is a full plot summary of what happened in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!

Other recaps for this series:

• P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2)