A sequel told through the eyes of two side characters from the original story is a wonderful way to keep the story moving in an exciting direction, especially when those narrators are as electrifying as Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh. More than just a story of rekindling friendships and flames, this is a story of true second chances and what it means to take them and be all in. Xavier is given a second shot at being close to his family and forming his own spot in the family business, while Sophie is given a second chance to make a real future for herself, in spite of the sexist people she goes to school with and works with and her parents’ expectations of her. Everything is woven together beautifully, with the backdrop of the illuminating Taiwan during the Mid Autumn Festival. Sophie and Xavier are troubled but easy to root for, and the ending is lovely.

I dare say the sequel is better than the first! I already loved LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI but this fast-paced sequel features two main characters instead of one. Narratives alternate between Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh. It was a delight getting to know the two most complex characters from the first book more deeply.

Sophie Ha basically has a personality lobotomy in order to win the reader's support in this book. She earnestly swaps her boy-crazy goals for a laser focus on majoring in Artificial Intelligence when she arrives at college. As a woman in tech myself, I recognized many of the experiences Sophie encounters in the lecture hall, among her peers, and inside her own mind.

While Xavier was alluringly mysterious in LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI, we get to hear his inner thoughts in LOVEBOAT REUNION and he's even more interesting this way. As a person without natural artistic talent, I relished hearing how someone with unconventional abilities experiences and shapes the world, while navigating around accessibility obstacles.

LOVEBOAT REUNION offers something for everyone: encouragement for women going through career struggles, contemporary fantasy for the Instagram influencer set, an exciting K-drama-esque plot around a wealthy family business, and a satisfying undercurrent of YA romance throughout. I'd love to read more installments if the series continues!

Loveboat, Reunion unexpectedly hit me in the feels. Xavier's struggles with dyslexia and his family's perceived shame (and lack of knowledge) about his learning disorder combined made me emotional. Not to mention the sexism Sophie has to undergo combined with her sheer levels of passion made her an instant favorite. Loveboat, Reunion is a testament to side characters having their own stories to tell. Hidden nuances, motivations we can't necessarily see when we look through their eyes, and their own truths to unravel.

But above all, Loveboat, Reunion is a story about perception and invention. It's about the reputations and personas we create for the world. That we use to hide our own fears and insecurities. We can allow people to create an image of us, a perception of us that we adopt like a mask. However, in Loveboat, Reunion both Sophie and Xavier have to face this question of (re)invention. Of trying to break free from what they think is who they are. To wonder if they can find strength in what people see and to cast aside what they hate.