First the cover for this is just so cute. I love it. I cannot help but grab for a cute cover. Gemma is such a strong determined character. So much so that she forgets to have a little fun. Xander on the other hand is fun and always laughing. Does he take anything seriously? This YA contemporary romcom is full of banter, laughs and a few serious moments. Some parts get a little deep and are so well written. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and all the twists were revealed. I will tell you there was one part that I was so shocked I had to stop reading for a minute. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is going to be a bit of a vague review because I want to share so much of the story, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

The story is all about relationships. Gemma and her mom, Gemma and her cultural identity, Gemma and her fellow Tarpers, Gemma and Xander, Gemma’s grandfather and Xander’s grandfather. They are all intertwined and develop over the course of the story.

I loved the scavenger hunt that Gemma’s grandfather put together for her, and that she had to include Xander to help her through it. We get to see all of these little pieces of Taiwanese culture as the characters solve puzzles and unravel their history.

There are so many secrets and misunderstandings that are brought to light throughout the story, but I think they way things resolved themselves was perfect.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a charming read that will likely resonate even more with its intended YA audience.

For me, the pacing felt uneven—it dragged at times yet didn’t delve deeply enough into the most compelling aspects, like the romance between Gemma and Xander or Gemma’s personal backstory.

Raised by her single mother with little connection to her Taiwanese heritage, Gemma has always believed that all her relatives had passed away. When she discovers that her maternal grandfather only recently died and left her something in his will, she’s both furious with her mother and intrigued. The will suggests a hidden treasure, so she finagles her way onto a school trip to Taiwan—accompanied by her longtime rival, Xander—to follow the trail of clues.

The novel leans heavily into the treasure hunt, with an abundance of puzzles, riddles, and discussions about clues. I listened to the first half on audio, and I found that the deciphering process, along with Gemma’s journal entries, didn’t translate well to the format. (Not to mention the questionable choice for her best friend’s voice—grating doesn’t begin to cover it.)

As for the romance, Xander and Gemma’s dynamic is built on a misunderstanding, leading them to spend a significant chunk of the book not even liking each other. To make things more frustrating, Gemma gets involved with someone else on the trip, which means the moments of chemistry between her and Xander—easily one of the highlights of the novel—are far too fleeting.

That said, if you love treasure hunts, puzzles, and coming-of-age stories that explore identity, family, and cultural heritage, this book has plenty to offer. The descriptions of Taiwan are breathtaking, immersing the reader in its beauty and vibrancy. However, some of the life lessons are a bit heavy-handed—I would have preferred more subtle storytelling rather than outright explanations.

My favorite part of the book is a major spoiler, so I won’t go into details, but it ultimately shaped my rating.

Its an adventure for an ambitious girl who doesnt know she wants to see the world yet! The great part is we get to see it happen...with her ex

4/5⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed the book! It was a great scavenger hunt filled with puzzles and riddles left by Gemma’s grandfather to get his inheritance was a great idea to bring a love story together! Gemma had to learn about her family that she was shunned from by her mother only to lead to more questions than answers! But it came full circle at the end and it was beautiful!

3.5/5 Stars

At Gemma's highschool graduation, a lawyer informs her that her grandfather has passed away, leaving her an inheritance. She must solve a string of puzzles to find it, only problem is that she needs to travel to Taiwan to do it. Gemma and her mother struggle for money, and with college tuition looming over her head, she decides that this treasure hunt may be the answer she needs. When her mother refuses to pay for the trip, she must turn to Xander her ex-boyfriend, the leader of TARP, a student program traveling to Taiwan that has a last minute spot open.

This was a fun romance, but I don't think it will stick in my head too long. Gemma and Xander not only have a lot of history between the two of them, but their families are intertwined deeply. I liked that they had to work together to solve the puzzles her grandfather left. I liked that Gemma was able to learn more about her culture on the trip, and discover more about herself as well. I loved all the talk about the different foods as well! Makes me want to go and try them all! The romance is slow-burn, and it felt more like a one-sided enemies to lovers, or at least a very mild on one-side, strong on the other, but it was still enjoyable for the most part. I liked when they started working together, and they did have some chemistry after they stopped bickering.

I'm waiting for the Netflix adaption. Ex Marks the Spot is a swoony, adventurous YA romance that blends family secrets, a thrilling treasure hunt, and a heartwarming journey of self-discovery. Gemma’s life is turned upside down when she learns that her grandfather, whom she believed to be dead, has recently passed away, leaving behind a mysterious treasure hunt and a potential inheritance. To solve the puzzles and uncover the prize, she must team up with her ex, Xander—her biggest high school rival.

Set against the vibrant streets of Taipei, the novel is a rich exploration of family, culture, and identity, as Gemma embarks on a journey not only to discover a treasure but to reconnect with her Taiwanese heritage. The romance between Gemma and Xander is a slow-burn rivals-to-lovers arc that adds emotional depth to the story, while the treasure hunt itself is filled with clever puzzles that keep the pages turning.

This book was so interesting! I didn’t get the chance to read it before but if I knew how good it is, I would definitely have picked it up before. It was amazing! So so good! I definitely recommend!

This one was really cute! Family history, a treasure hunt, and a cultural heritage trip make this book a delightful romp, especially with the addition of a rival who might not be so bad after all…😉
If you love YA full of puzzles and games, don’t skip this one!
I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own, and a review was not required.

I really loved this book! I don't think I've read anything set in Taiwan yet, so that was really fun. So far this is my favorite book by Gloria Chao yet!

I really enjoyed this YA mystery/romance especially because I am a Taiwanese American, and I related to the main character not being as familiar with my heritage as I would like. Unlike her, I do have many family stories about my parents growing up in Taiwan, but I have only been to Taiwan twice in my life and don't speak any Mandarin (that was the language my parents used when they didn't want us to know what they were saying), and my Taiwanese has mostly been lost.

Gemma goes to Taiwan initially because of what she thinks is a treasure hunt for her inheritance from a grandfather she thought was dead years ago. Her mother has been estranged from him but always told her he died long ago. She essentially lies her way onto a sponsored trip to Taiwan, which, it turns out, is run by her arch enemy--yep, this is an enemies-to-friends romance story. But while the romance part of the story is there, I liked more that she learned about the heritage that had been missing her entire life, including some surprise twists about her family. I liked that she started out as a high achiever in school who made success her identity and the only thing that was important to her, but traveling to Taiwan with a wide group of kids helped her see that there were more things to life that were important besides school and work. I liked that she saw Xander only in one way, but others (and the trip) helped her see that perhaps she wasn't always right.

Overall, I had such fun with this story and enjoyed the physical, spiritual, and emotional journey that Gemma took on her trip to Taiwan. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Love Boat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Love from A. to Z.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Ex Marks the Spot"
By Gloria Chao


This is an adventurous and sweet, coming-of-age YA story about Gemma Sun, an American girl of Chinese descent who was raised by her single mom. Gemma's mom preferred to assimilate and so her daughter has always felt a sense of loss in not knowing her heritage and the Chinese culture more. When Gemma is presented with a path that will take her to Taiwan on a journey to know her late grandfather better, she secretly holds on to hope that some sort of inheritance will be waiting for her. Getting to Taiwan means sucking it up and asking her ex & school rival, Xander Pan, for inclusion in the summer heritage program he developed. But getting there is only the first battle and Gemma must face the reality that she will need help, which means trusting others and letting people in - including Xander.

Amidst the creative puzzles, delicious foods, learning Chinese characters and the Mandarin language. Gemma discovers so much beauty in Taiwan. She also discovers much deeper connections between her family and Xander's & it brings them together as a team, shedding light on their past in the process.

I loved this engaging story & peek into Gemma and the TARPers experiences as second generation Chinese-Americans. I thought the conversations between the participants was a good reflection of the variation that exists between families who have immigrated. I love reading books that offer an "own voices" perspective. This is an excellent YA book (very sweet, almost middle grade) that I plan to share it with my teen/preteen kids.

Thank you to Penguin Teen/Viking Books for Young Readers for the gifted copy on #NetGalley!

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

Ex-Marks the Spot is a super adorable story. I loved Gemma from the moment we met her and loved how annoyed she was by Xander. Every time they interacted, I could feel her annoyance and how strong her need was to roll her eyes or give him a good smack.

I loved watching Gemma uncover her family history and make friends while learning about her culture. This story had me laughing out loud and feeling emotional along with Gemma, and I really liked how her relationship with Xander grew and changed throughout the story.

Ex-Marks the Spot was a fun, feel good story with the added benefit of a treasure hunt that was so entertaining to follow along with. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

An adorable enemies-to-lovers YA romance with a puzzling treasure hunt and abundant family secrets, Chao's latest novel is a lot of fun. Gemma Sun has only ever had her mother, just the two of them against the world, and she's driven to succeed, especially since the pair have a hard time making ends meet. Xander Pan is her rival...who also used to be her close friend and briefly, years ago, her boyfriend. After graduation, Gemma learns that her grandfather in fact didn't die when she was a baby, but just recently, and he left her a few newspapers and a will. However, in those papers, Gemma sees a riddle, one that directs her to her grandfather's apartment in Taiwan. Her best bet to get there is, who else, Xander, who has designed a program about reconnecting with Taiwanese heritage, and unfortunately, as the hunt unfolds, Gemma realizes that Xander's the key she needs. As they go through Taiwan solving puzzles, Gemma starts to see more possibility in life, and maybe in her relationship with Xander as well.
This one was so fun. The twists and turns weren't super hard to see coming, but watching the characters get there was fun enough. Gemma was a great main character, and Xander was a good love interest. The drama is very soapy, which is great. All in all, a great little YA rom-com.

This was a fun, adventurous read. Who doesn’t love an enemies-to-lovers story. The romance was realistic enough for a young adult book and it left more room for focus on the treasure hunting plot.

Ex Marks the Spot was a cute story with several heartwarming scenes. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers element, but I also really enjoyed learning more about Taiwanese culture as the FL discovered her family roots.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an extremely sweet rivals to lovers story, blending self-exploration, connecting with roots, Asian heritage, and an adventurous treasure hunt with lots of smart, impeccably and intricately developed puzzles!

The story revolves around Gemma and her ex-arch nemesis and co-valedictorian, Xander. One day Gemma learns from a lawyer that her grandfather passed away just two weeks ago, leaving her an inheritance filled with puzzles and riddles. It seemed like a secret treasure hunt only she can decode and for that she has to travel through Taiwan to learn further about her roots and family history. But life always doesn't seem happening for everyone and just like that she also has financial problems for which her parents forbid her to go on a trip to Taiwan. But unlike Gemma she can't keep calm after hearing about the treasure hoping if she finds it her financial problems will be over forever. When her parents refused to give a penny she reluctantly requested help from Xander, who was part of a special student program covering all expenses to discover Taiwan.

During the trip, Gemma finds out that even their mothers and grandparents were also rivals, which makes their story like modern Romeo and Juliet, doomed from the start. Yet Gemma finds Xander in every small situation when she needs him the most. Overall, this is a delicious, entertaining and inspiring journey that will make you want to book a ticket to Taiwan and explore those amazing places and mouthwatering foods. I completely enjoyed the book so much, the cultural aspects were literally amazing😍😍 If you loved 'The Inheritance Games ' then you'll definitely love this book!! 🤎🏮

Thank you so much @coloredpagesbt @gloriacchao @netgalley @penguinteen @vikingbooks for having me on this book tour and for providing the digital e-ARC.

This was a sweet, fun, rivals-to-lovers YA romance that takes place mostly in Taiwan. Gemma is the daughter of first-generation American immigrants. She was raised by her mom who wanted her to be so "American" that she never discussed their Taiwanese roots. When Gemma's grandfather's will is read, leaving clues to a treasure that might help her pay for college, Gemma knows she has to get to Taiwan somehow. Luckily for Gemma, her school rival and ex-boyfriend, Xander hosts a yearly trip to Taiwan for kids to learn more about Taiwanese culture. While searching for clues to the treasure, Gemma ends up learning so much about her family and herself.

Reading this book made me want to take a vacation to Taiwan! I loved reading about all the places in Taiwan and found myself looking them up to see what they looked like. This was my first book by Gloria Chao, but it won't be my last!

This was an interesting and fun read! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this early!