The first-person protagonist of the narrative, Lara Jean is a senior in high school when this book begins, living at home with her father and her younger sister, Kitty. She has a popular boyfriend and splits time between his friend group and her old friends. She enjoys baking and crafting and is not interested in parties or school spirit but participates to show her support of her boyfriend’s lacrosse team. Lara Jean believes in love and the importance of romantic relationships, as well as the importance of family love. She lost her mother to cancer several years ago and is determined to keep her Korean heritage alive for her little sister Kitty, whose memories of their mother are more tenuous.

Lara Jean is generally a warm and kind person. She could be described as congenial; there is not much to dislike about her, but she is also not incredibly bold or unique as a character. She rarely gets into arguments with people unless she’s really provoked, and she sees the good in most other people. The one person she cannot seem to get along with is her former best friend, Genevieve; Gen was in a long-term relationship with Peter before Lara Jean, and she still compares herself to Gen.