All Love Interests in Jenny Han’s Cinematic Universe, Ranked
The JHCU (Jenny Han Cinematic Universe) has steadily grown since the author’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before made its way to the screen in 2018. Over the course of nearly a decade, we’ve seen Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) find love, as well as her sister Kitty (Anna Cathcart) in XO, Kitty. (However, her endgame is yet to be determined.) And who can forget Belly Conklin’s angsty love triangle with brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) in The Summer I Turned Pretty?
Han’s leading ladies have almost a dozen love interests between the three of them, and all are not created equal. So, we thought it was about time we ranked them from worst to best. We genuinely have a bone to pick with some of the non-endgame love interests — we’re looking at you, Jeremiah — but others simply just didn’t have chemistry with the leads or didn’t get enough screen time. Keep that in mind when you consider our order.
Further, XO, Kitty is still ongoing, so our ranking may change once Season 3 comes out in a few weeks. (We wonder if the position of Sang Heon Lee‘s Min Ho may need to be adjusted. Stay tuned.) From TATBILB‘s Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) to TSITP‘s Cam Cameron (David Iacono), keep scrolling to find out where each love interest, lasting or not, falls.
11. Josh Sanderson, To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Josh (Israel Broussard) is barely a blip in the grand scheme of LJ’s story, but he does serve a purpose. He receives one of LJ’s infamous letters. We have him to (indirectly) thank for inspiring LJ to fake date Peter. She has to convince Josh, her best friend and sister’s ex, that she doesn’t have feelings for him. He’s a nice enough guy, but it’s the sister element of it all that makes him a completely unviable love interest. Plus, he peaces out in the sequel, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.
10. Jeremiah Fisher, The Summer I Turned Pretty
We know the Jelly shippers will come for us, but it has to be done. Our dislike of Jeremiah came about gradually. For a while, the younger Fisher brother does seem like the more emotionally stable and available love interest for Belly, and you know we love a friends-to-lovers arc. But Jeremiah’s actions in Season 3 simply ruined him in our eyes. Beyond the cheating on Belly, he shows textbook emotional manipulation. The guy’s got a fair amount of trauma, so we’ll grant him some grace, but he and Belly just aren’t meant for each other. Plain and simple. And by the end of the season, Jeremiah doesn’t really have a full-fledged redemption arc. We need to see more growth. Maybe the upcoming movie will give him some, and he’ll move up a few spots.
9. Praveenna Bhakti, XO, Kitty
It’s not really Praveena’s (Sasha Bhasin) fault that she’s so low on the list. Since she still has feelings for Yuri (Gia Kim), Kitty’s heart is never fully in their short-lived relationship in Season 2. We don’t really fault her for moving on with Yuri’s ex, Juliana (Regan Aliyah). It’s a messy choice, but that’s the name of the game at KISS.
8. Benito, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Benito (Fernando Cattori), you may not be very high on the list, but we’ll always remember you fondly. Belly doesn’t spend nearly enough time getting to know the guy in Paris. He’s cool, artsy, and most importantly, emotionally available, but Belly is simply too hung up on Conrad to give him a chance. Should he have been endgame? No, but he serves his purpose and doesn’t do anything wrong.
7. Dae Heon Kim, XO, Kitty
In most cases (aside from TSITP) your first love shouldn’t be your last, and that’s unfortunately the case with Dae (Choi Min-yeong) and Kitty. Dae starts off on a not-so-great foot by playing the part of Yuri’s fake boyfriend while he’s in a long-distance relationship with Kitty. (He needs the money Yuri pays him for school, but still.) We don’t really get to see Dae and Kitty as a happy couple for any extended period of time, but it’s probably for the best. Their vibe is much better as friends.
6. Cam Cameron, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Justice for Cam Cameron! The poor guy doesn’t know what he’s getting into when he meets Belly back in Season 1. As smart as he is nice, Cam really is the total package. There’s just no fire between him and Belly, so we can’t justify putting him any higher in our ranking.
5. Yuri Han, XO, Kitty
Yuri is Kitty’s bisexual awakening when the latter becomes infatuated pretty much at first sight. Though Yuri constantly sends Kitty into gay panic at the start of their friendship, everything feels natural about their dynamic and chemistry. It all goes downhill, though, as things get messier and messier within their friend group, and they never really get the space to flourish. Of course, there’s Dae between them at first, then Min Ho develops feelings for Kitty, then Yuri falls for Juliana, then Kitty dates Praveena… You get the idea. Somehow, Yuri and Kitty manage to salvage their friendship by the end of Season 2. We think they still have potential to be something more, seeing that neither has ever been single and emotionally available at the same time. Who knows, maybe Yuri will rise a few spots after Season 3.
4. John Ambrose McClaren, To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Leave it to Han to make us root for the secondary love interest. We totally get why LJ wrote a letter to John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher). In the sequel movie, he comes across as a much more reliable option for LJ, so much more so than Peter. He spends his free time volunteering at a home for the elderly, for crying out loud! He and LJ are on the same wavelength, and he’s so darn adorable that we almost starting thinking that LJ’s endgame should be switched up. But in the end, they just don’t have that extra kick that Peter and LJ have.
3. Peter Kavinsky, To All the Boys I've Loved Before
We can’t help but love Peter and his opposites-attract romance with LJ. Their chemistry is evident from the get-go, for one. Peter’s just so dang charming that we can forgive some of his missteps, à la the Gen (Emilija Baranac) drama and his reaction to LJ getting into NYU. To be fair, LJ also plays a role in some of their relationship stumbles — most of which can be chalked up to their immaturity. They both make mistakes, but they grow together, which is what makes Peter LJ’s best match. Meaningful relationships take work. Ultimately, Peter and Lara Jean bring out the best in each other.
2. Min Ho Moon, XO, Kitty
We know what you’re thinking: How can Min Ho be in the number two spot when he and Kitty haven’t even become an item? The answer is that the buildup has been that good. Sure, they’re enemies at the start, but it never goes too far — and it makes it all the more satisfying when Min Ho confesses his feelings for Kitty at the end of Season 1. From then on, Min Ho’s guarded, arrogant exterior falls away, and he earns his spot in the JHCU love interest hall of fame. Kitty’s rejection doesn’t stop Min Ho from being a ride-or-die friend to her, even while he pines for her. We see the vision — we just have to wait and see if Season 3 executes it. We’ll see where Min Ho falls afterward.
1. Conrad Fisher, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Surely it’s a surprise to no one that Connie baby is our top pick after watching that glorious slow burn for three seasons. Conrad isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t lessen our love for him. From the jump, it’s clear that the boy is so down bad for Belly it’s not even funny, even though he’s (too) good at bottling up his emotions. We can forgive Conrad for pushing Belly away after his mother’s death, particularly because he puts in the work to make it up to her. It’s his growth in Season 3 that really seals the deal. His feelings are so strong that he can’t help but tell her how he feels, even if it disrupts his brother and Belly’s wedding. It’s not so great for Jere, sure, but a love as epic as Conrad’s for Belly can’t be quelled. Even after being rejected, he flies to Paris for her! He remembers every little thing she’s ever said! We could go on, but you get the idea. Conrad is, without a doubt, number one.
