This book was lacking, to say the least. I haven't read that many mystery novels, and although romance isn't my favorite genre, I feel confident in saying that this book was lackluster in both of those genres. I wish the mystery was put together in a smoother, more cohesive way so that readers could actually understand what was happening. The majority of the time I spent reading this book, I had no clue what was happening in the mystery aspect. The way the plot was organized and explained through characters just didn't click for me. The romance was practically non-existent. I wish we had more tension between Gemma and Xander. The pacing in the romance sub-plot between the two of them felt rushed and didn't deliver for me personally. I don't think this book is a waste of time by any means it just seemed like I didn't click with it as much as I anticipated.


thank you to netgalley for the arc

Ex Marks the Spot is an adventurous and action-packed story. When Gemma learns that her estranged grandfather passed away and left her a mysterious puzzle, she’s determined to follow the trail all the way to Taiwan. If the hunt ends in funds to pay for college, she needs it. But how will she get there? Gemma is forced to ask a favor from her sworn rival, the annoying Xander. As Gemma retraces her grandfather’s steps, what will she do when she starts to form a connection with Xander?

Ex Marks the Spot is such a fun book! Gemma and Xander have a great rivals-to-lovers arc and rebuild a solid friendship along the way. I loved how Gloria Chao also explored the importance of connection to your roots and how to find your place when you feel stuck in between two cultures. Through the puzzles, Gemma gains a deeper understanding of her Taiwanese heritage and the secrets her relatives held. Gemma and her mom have a loving relationship, reminiscent of Lorelai and Rory from Gilmore Girls. I really enjoyed the twist at the end with Gemma’s grandfather and the secrets that are uncovered. I feel like I went on a vacation to Taiwan and devoured all the delicious food that Gemma and her friends do! The descriptive writing is excellent and mouth-wateringly good when it comes to the food. The puzzles on the treasure hunt were so clever!

Readers who enjoy rivals-to-lovers, family secrets, and puzzles that lead to adventure will love Ex Marks the Spot.

Thank you to Gloria Chao, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

I absolutely loved this book! From the moment Gemma embarks on her treasure hunt, I was hooked. The idea of unearthing her family’s history while traveling to Taiwan was so unique and exciting. I felt like I was right there with her, exploring the culture, the food, and the beautiful scenery—it made me want to book a trip to Taiwan myself! The way the author described everything made it so easy to imagine and experience alongside Gemma.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Gemma and Xander was so much fun. Their banter had me laughing out loud, and it was such a treat watching them slowly work through their past and realize they were better together. I’ve always been a sucker for second-chance romances, and this one definitely delivered.

What really stood out to me, though, was how much this story focused on family and culture. As Gemma learned more about her Taiwanese heritage and uncovered her grandfather’s legacy, it felt so meaningful. There was this real sense of connection to both her past and her mom, and it was just so heartwarming to see her grow through the journey.

I do wish there had been a little more depth with some of the secondary characters, but honestly, that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this book. It was fun, emotional, and just an all-around great read. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend picking it up. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

All her life Gemma has been told that her grandparent are dead and it is just her and her mom. So, Gemma is shocked when a man comes to her door and says her grandfather just passed, and gives her a box with a treasure map inside. Gemma in need of money to go to college wants to find the treasure just knowing there will be a inheritance at the end. The only problem is she needs to go to Taiwan to find the clues and she has no money.
I like this story of finding your true self. At times it really shows the mature side of Gemma, and Gemma finding she can’t do everything by herself. There is a serious side in this book but also a ton of action. This book sucked me in and didn’t let me go until the end. It was exciting and suspenseful, and I loved every minute of it.

Loved Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao. This is my second book I've read by her and by far my favorite.
Gemma and Xander were great. I love watching Gemma really find out about who she was and the adventures it took to get her there. Xander was the perfect treasure hunter partner to help her a long the way. As with most romance I do prefer for dual povs, but I'm glad this one was on written for Gemma pov.

5 stars.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a wonderful journey that we took along Gemma and Xander to find themselves, their families’ roots, history, and yes secrets and by the end at the end finding one another.
It took a while but it was beautiful to see Gemma letting go and embracing herself and Taiwan through a series of clues left by the grandad she thought long dead, it was sweet and made want to visit and eat the food, I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I genuinely really enjoyed this although I’m sure I’m not quite the target audience!

Gemma Sun (and Xander Pan) go on the ultimate treasure hunt, orchestrated by Gemma’s estranged grandfather before he passed away. Gemma learns about her family history, her culture and life in general along the way.

I found it quite bittersweet in many ways, but I think that’s what made it so enjoyable. I also have a new bucket-list holiday destination with all of the places mentioned in the trip to Taiwan.

🩷 YA Romance
❤️ Rivals to Lovers
❌️ Treasure Hunt
🇹🇼 Taiwan Culture rep 🇹🇼
🩷 Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🩹 Second Chance
❤️ Found Family
🩷 New Friends
🩶 Family Drama

Gemma Sun and Xander Pan became academic rivals after they had broken up. They have to work together to complete the treasure hunt that Gemma's grandfather created for her. Gemma got to experience Taiwan with new friends, family history, and the culture itself. Gemma and Xander had their moments together while solving the puzzles of the treasure hunt.

This book was a beautiful story about family, new friends, second chances, and getting to know your own culture. Gemma had a better understanding of her own culture and family history.

I was surprised by the twist and interconnectedness with Sun and Pan Families. It pulled on my heartstrings. I'm not gonna lie!

High school graduation is a time of transition, change, and excitement. It's a rite of passage nearly everyone travels, including Xander and Gemma, former friends who dated briefly years earlier. After a humiliating end to the graduation ceremony, Gemma is eager and more than ready to never see Xander again.

And then her mother drops a truth bomb: the grandfather Gemma never knew has died. Though her mom tries to hide from him, a lawyer finally tracks down Gemma and gives her a perplexing puzzle of an inheritance. If she has any chance of figuring out the clues her grandfather left behind, she will need a lot of help from the one person she hates the most: Xander.

Gloria Chao's young adult story is sweet and sincere, with themes of forgiveness and acceptance woven through the narrative. Readers take a cultural journey with Gemma and Xander to Taiwan as Gemma uncovers clue after clue and reveals an emotional and transformational version of her own family history. I enjoyed the story, the puzzles, and the chance to learn small pieces of Taiwanese culture. Thank you to Netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

For puzzle lovers everywhere comes an adorable look at what it means to recover your history! School rivals to lovers are about to discover that not only were they rivals in school - their families were rivals as well! Figuring out long-forgotten family secrets leads Gemma & Xander to team up & figure out what treasures Gemma's grandfather left behind. Taiwanese culture and historical sites are woven through their tale of friendship redemption, along with learning how to take a loving look at family drama.

This is one of the reasons I love sprinkling in a young adult read! Uplifting stories without high-stakes drama - perfect for reading after more heavy subjects.

- Young Adult / Coming-of-Age
- Clean Romance
- Unique Perspective
- Diverse Reads

➸ 3.5 stars

this was such a quick, fun, and lighthearted read!! i loved the cultural aspects this book explored + the self discovery! one of the things i adored was the addition of all the foods in taiwan! it really had me wishing i could pack my bags and travel there

“Even though you will eventually come to the end of a box of chocolates, the joy it brings can last you a lifetime.”

thank you to netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Ex Marks the Spot is a super cute contemporary story of two high school rivals (that used to date) and their incredible journey through Taiwan, learning about their tangled family histories and that things are not always as they appear.

Gemma Sun has been told all her life that she is an American. It's just her and her mom against the world. Gemma stopped asking questions about her dad, or any other family, a long time ago. Until she learns that her grandfather just recently passed away and finds that her mother has been lying to her. Gemma discovers that her grandfather and her shared a love for puzzles, and there's one hidden in her grandfather's will that could be the key to solving all of Gemma's problems. The only problem is now she has to get to Taiwan to finish this treasure hunt and the only way to do that is to convince her ex-boyfriend to let her join his program for kids to learn more about their Taiwanese roots. Despite feeling like the world is out to get her, she pushes through and begins a whirlwind journey filled with puzzles, great food, amazing sights, and a deeper understanding of her own identity.

I personally thought this book was amazing. Puzzles aren't really my thing, (I already know I'm the minority here but I did not get the hype surrounding The Inheritance Games), and even though I couldn't get most of the puzzles myself, I enjoyed learning about Taiwanese culture in the process. The food, oh my goodness, the food sounds delicious! Some of the landmarks and sights described in this story I had never heard about and are now firmly on my bucket list of travel destinations, Seriously, google Sun Moon Lake or Yehliu Geopark. See? Amazing! And there's so much more in this book to discover as Gemma finds out.

So why four stars if this book is so great? These may be inconsequential to some, but the second-chance romance fell flat for me. Thankfully, it didn't overtake the plot too much but I didn't see any sparks between these characters. And while the reasoning behind their breakup was hilarious, it was also extremely juvenile for me.

On their own, the characters were great. I loved Xander's carefree attitude and teasing. Gemma is serious but also sincere and I relate to that so much. She's also quirky and has so many embarrassing moments, I too am strange and unusual. The rest of the characters were good too, and I felt that they were fleshed out enough to fit their roles in this narrative. I really liked the family aspect to this novel, learning how our parents and grandparents are people with their own lives, their own complex stories to tell. There are a lot of great messages in this story that shone gently through the writing.

Well-written and engaging, I would recommend it to those with a love for travel and coming of age stories.

This was a really fun #ownvoices rivals to lovers, second chance YA romance that has two former Chinese American teens embarking on a group heritage trip to Taiwan where they are also determined to solve a scavenger hunt that forces them to work together and solve puzzle clues left by Gemma's recently deceased grandfather. Gemma's mother hasn't spoken to her father in years and Gemma didn't even know he existed but when the lawyer turns up to deliver the will and the first of the clues, she hopes this will lead to a treasure that could help pay for her college fees.

Full of family secrets, great banter, cultural identity and lots of emotional depth and good on audio too. Many of the puzzles were based on the Chinese language and culture, which made it a little difficult to follow for those unfamiliar, they were still very clever and the book on a whole is sure to appeal to fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Inheritance games series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

What a wonderful, heartfelt book. The puzzles were truly engaging and beautiful, and the story was so thoughtful. This is a love letter of sorts to all the second- and third-generation Chinese Americans, to those with complicated stories with their family and their heritage. In many ways, the emotions in this story felt more true to the experiences of my loved ones than many other Asian American tales. Some second- and third-gen find themselves within their culture, yes, but there are also so many who don't because of the generational trauma it can bring. This welcomes all sides with understanding, and grace to those you know didn't do the right thing, but acknowledging the path and pain that still built that person.

This one is going to sit with me for a while for how genuine and earnest this story is.

What a fun ride this story was! I absolutely loved the underlying message about identity and self-discovery, especially for teenagers growing up in the US within Asian families. It hit close to home for me since I'm also a child of immigrants. This story beautifully mirrors the complex journey of figuring out who you are during those formative years. Gemma and Xander, our two main characters, embark on a thrilling adventure that's as much about exploring their cultural roots and their evolving relationship as it is about coming to terms with their grandfathers’ histories. All set against the backdrop of a scavenger hunt in Taiwan, conceived by Gemma’s late grandfather, this story weaves together a fast-paced, entertaining, and thought-provoking narrative. It’s a fantastic read for young adults, packed with moments that make you think and feel deeply.

This book is a beautiful journey of love, growth, and family discovery! (4.5 stars rounded up)

Gloria Chao's "Ex Marks the Spot" is a wonderfully crafted YA novel takes readers on a dual journey: one through the vibrant streets of Taiwan in search of an inheritance, and another through the hearts of exes and former rivals learning to see each other - and themselves - in a new light.

What sets this romance apart is the remarkable, but plausible, growth her characters' experience throughout the book. Gemma and Xander's journey from exes to something more feels authentic because it's built on genuine growth and understanding rather than merely rekindled attraction. As they work together to solve the treasure hunt's puzzles, they also unravel their preconceptions about each other. Their ability to acknowledge past mistakes, reassess old hurts, and appreciate how they've both changed shows a refreshing level of emotional intelligence. Their competition-laden history adds tension to their interactions, but it's their growing ability to be vulnerable with each other that makes their romance truly satisfying. By the time they reach their happy ending, readers can believe in the strength and staying power of their relationship.

Running parallel to the romance is an equally compelling story about family connections. Gemma's journey to discover her Taiwanese heritage through her grandfather's treasure hunt is beautifully crafted and deeply moving. What begins as a quest for inheritance becomes a profound exploration of identity and belonging. The way her grandfather designed the hunt to teach Gemma about her family history and cultural heritage creates a posthumous love letter that brought tears to my eyes. The cultural elements are woven seamlessly into the narrative, enriching both the treasure hunt and Gemma's personal journey.

"Ex Marks the Spot" delivers a satisfying reading experience that goes beyond typical YA romance tropes. While it requires some suspension of disbelief around the treasure hunt, the payoff makes it more than worth it. It's a story about second chances - not just in love, but in connecting with one's heritage and understanding family. The strong character development, mature handling of relationships, and beautiful exploration of family made this a very enjoyable and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 9.5/10+ This book had just the right amount of everything to make a perfectly balanced wonderfully fun read. I finished it in two days because I couldn't stop reading!

The book follows Gemma as she's travels to Taiwan to follow a puzzle based treasure hunt her grandfather left in his will.

She ends up enlisting the help of her childhood friend/ex boyfriend (who is now her academic enemy) and obviously some sparks fly.

I loooove travel stories so that's was initially drew me into this one. l've never read a book that takes place in Taiwan so it was really cool to visit in the book. The treasure hunt took Gemma all over and as it unfolded it told the story of a family history mystery.

Speaking of family, the family storyline really made this story shine. It was truly moving and was interwoven perfectly with the more lighthearted moments. There was also a lot of complexity in how the MC grappled with her relationship to her culture. I through the book did a really good job keeping it light and fun while also having such great characters that brought in a lot of depth.

I don't have much to say about the romance but I did like it and was rooting for the characters to get together. Once again I thought it was balanced perfectly with everything else in the book. The author just had the best mix of romance, travel, family, friends, mystery, silliness, self exploration. All parts shined in equal measure making such a lovely read. I highly recommend this one!

Thanks to netgalley and Viking Books for a copy of this book, I loved it!

Fast, fun read. I loved the banter between the characters. The treasure hunt aspect was a cool way to keep the story moving. It's a fun YA read.

I can’t review it because I could never download the file, let alone read it. I only use kindle for files.

tl;dr
Second chance romance and a treasure hunt in a will propel a story about coming-of-age and finding one's identity in the diaspora.

Thoughts
I've seen people compare this to The Inheritance Games, and there's definitely a series of puzzles left in a will that may lead to a grand inheritance, along with a complicated family history and a mother/daughter pair making it on their own. But the core of this story is about growing up in the diaspora, coming-of-age, and finding one's place in the world. I think most readers will find something to relate to - that awkward sense of not fitting in, or not being understood is universal. But there will be some readers who immediately click in to the alienation of not knowing the language or the food or the inside jokes from the culture you're from. It's a frank look at living between worlds, and probably my favorite part of the story. The contrast between Gemma's longing to be more connected to the past versus her grandfather's look toward the the future is well-balanced, and I found their stories to be bittersweet. The puzzles were fun, especially the ones that mix languages and math, and the treasure hunt aspect is nicely plotted. For me, the weakest part of the book was the romance, but I've never been a second chance romance enjoyer, I really dislike miscommunication tropes, and love triangles have never done it for me. Yeah, I'm gonna assume that I'm the problem here. Be aware if your romance tastes run in the same direction as mine that you're in for a rough time. But the good news is if you like that stuff, you may have found your next read.