Cute little romance book! I’d read more from this author. I loved the atmospheric writing! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This was a really cute closed door romance, I loved learning about the culture more. I liked the twist of her grandpa's story and loved that she got to know her culture better.

Ex Marks the Spot follows Gemma Sun, who discovers a puzzle in her estranged grandfather’s will that sends her on an inheritance hunt through Taiwan and forces her to work with her ex. Soon, she’ll discover that her family has hidden more than treasure.

From the moment I read the summary of the book, and saw it was rivals turned lovers, I was hooked. I am a fan of stories where characters find their roots, and discover themselves along the journey,

Gemma Sun is a very compelling protagonist, and you can't help be drawn into her adventure and hope things work out for her. I was thoroughly invested in her story, and it was very well researched, fast paced and quick read,

The writing was lyrical and very atmospheric.

It was a great read.

This book was so interesting that I couldn't put it down. Growing up as a Chinese American in the 60s ad 70s, I still could relate a lot to the feelings the main character experiences. Family relationships as well as peer relationships are important to our culture. This book would be a great read for other teens to better understand Asian culture. I would highly recommend this for a high school class and definitely as a book for the school library!

I honestly love this! It was just so real and beautifully written. I feel like the author should have more fame than they do. She is entirely too talented for me to have not heard of her before now! Definitely excited to see more from her, this book was just perfect.

Absolutely adored this one! The cover is great, the title is a pun, and the story is a treasure hunt of both personal and exploratory varieties. What more is there to like? I could not put it down! Highly recommend this one. :)

A fun, entertaining read about a scavenger hunt in a foreign country with the underscore of romance.

I liked the way this book explored the way Gemma wanted to connect to her extended family and discovered so much more about her grandfather along the way. The twists are a bit predictable, but I still love their inclusion and it means that all the hints along the way were well employed. I love the word play in both languages. The romance was fine. I did not like the inclusion of the first romance, though I do like how that one was resolved.

I had a good time with it. Fans of Inheritance Games will enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao is a lively and engaging adventure-romance that takes readers across Taiwan, following Gemma, a broke student, and her ex-boyfriend as they embark on a treasure hunt sparked by her late grandfather’s cryptic clue. What initially seems like a simple hunt turns into a deeper exploration of culture and unresolved feelings between the characters. The unexpected tension and history between Gemma and her ex add emotional depth that makes their journey even more engaging.

I loved how the book dives into Taiwanese culture, food, and landscapes, making me feel immersed in the country’s vibrant atmosphere. The romance is light-hearted, and their dynamic brings a fun and adventurous spirit to the story. However, I did feel the puzzles were too easy, with solutions that came too quickly, and the phonetic Chinese dialogue, without translation, sometimes made it hard to follow.

That said, the lightheartedness and banter between the characters, along with their youthful, adventurous energy, more than made up for it. The treasure hunt becomes more than just a quest for riches—it’s about rediscovering themselves and their bond. Overall, it’s a fun, enjoyable read for anyone who loves romance with a dash of adventure!

Thank you so much to @penguinteen and @netgalley for the ARC of Ex Marks the Spot! I had a blast reading it.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao
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It’s always been just Gemma and her mom. So when a lawyer shows up and informs her that her grandfather (whom she thought died years ago) left her something in his will, she jumps at the chance to get to know him better. The box he left her seems to be a clue to a scavenger hunt of sorts, and she will need the help of her Ex, Xander.
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What I liked:
-By the end of the second chapter I was hooked. I needed answers to all my questions!
-I. Love. A. Scavenger. Hunt. (Seriously, put one in every book, please)
-The enemies-to-lovers energy in this story was absolutely fantastic. I hated Xander (and yet I wanted them to get together so bad). The banter, the frustration, the longing, it was all so good.
-Again, I LOVED the scavenger hunt.
-Gemma and her mom’s relationship. 🥰💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved everything about this book, except that Netgalley would not let me send it to my Kindle and I had to read it on the Netgalley Shelf app (I do not like the Netgalley shelf app).

I read what this book was about and it sounded so good, so I requested it. Once I started reading it, I was also reading another book, so it took me a bit to get into this.......but once I got going it was hard to put down. I like how it was sort of a mystery, and there were clues that the main characters had to figure out, along with their relationship. I also love a happy ending.
This book shows persistence and even if you get embarrassed you still move on. It also shows that things may be hard, but don't give up. This is a good book for high school students to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Ex Marks the Spot on December 31, 2024.

Gloria Chao wove a really sweet and emotional story together about embracing your cultural legacy on your terms and letting your past inform your future. Gemma Sun has always believed it's her and her mom against the world, but when her grandfather leaves her a treasure hunt/puzzle to follow to lead to his inheritance, Gemma leaps at the chance to learn more about her Taiwanese background and extended family.

I loved the treasure hunt itself and how Gemma was forced to work with her ex-boyfriend and rival, Xander Pan, to get to the bottom of the hunt (especially given his personal connection to Gemma's grandfather). While I do think this book slowed down and spent a bit too much time on some of the in-between moments of the story, I can appreciate why the author included them. We see Gemma open up more with fellow teenagers who can relate to her experiences, and we see Gemma's confidence grow with each passing moment.

The last half of the book really had me hooked and eager for more, as Gemma and Xander traveled closer and closer to the "X" at the end of the hunt. I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you're in the mood for puzzle-solving and familial bonds (just don't read while you're hungry, because all the food mentions were 10/10 enticing).

Ex Marks the Spot is a fun treasure hunt/romance, but where it excelled for me was the deeper exploration of family, cultural roots, and the impact of generational secrets.

Even with a slow start, the story was quite interesting and enjoyable. I loved the writing and the story and the adventure it took the characters on. I loved how it discussed culture and the romance it had.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin for the ARC. I really liked the beginning, it was quite funny and I was enjoying Gemma's character, her rivalry with Xander, and exploring Taiwan. However, it became a bit boring, and the actual treasure hunt was not that interesting. The pacing became a bit odd and the dynamic between Gemma and Xander became just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Ex Marks the Spot is a fun treasure hunt/romance, but where it excelled for me was the deeper exploration of family, cultural roots, and the impact of generational secrets. Gemma and Xander were great characters, though I would have liked to see a touch more fun banter, etc. and a bit less outright hostility. Their ending was super cute though! I really enjoyed how they both unraveled truths about their families as the treasure hunt progressed. I think this is a perfect book for teen readers who want a little romance, but for that not to be the driving plot of the story.

I had a fun time reading this book! I love the fun puzzles, anagrams and equations. Sometimes they're even too much for my brain haha! I also love how this book shows how hard it is to be a child of an asian immigrant in the US. It perfectly depicted in the story how hard it is to decide if you would live your life how your parents want you to vs. your own expectations, how hard it is to not know your parent's cultures and discovering them yourself and also the ups and downs of the asian culture. I just wish there were a little bit more attraction between the main characters but I still enjoyed the story a lot!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Teen for letting me read this ARC.

This is a fun, adventurous YA romance that perfectly encapsulated the scavenger hunt plots I loved as a teen (Indiana Jones, National Treasure, etc.) People who like that kind of storyline and solving puzzles will enjoy this book.

Beyond the scavenger hunt element, there were some deeper plot points that gave Ex Marks the Spot a complexity I really enjoyed. Gemma's disconnect from her roots, complicated family/generational dynamics, and financial issues all felt complex and real and had me invested in what would happen to Gemma and her family.

I was honestly less interested in the romance than I was in the treasure hunt and family history. The dynamic between Gemma and Xander wasn't that compelling to me, since they don't seem to mesh well personality wise. The "lesson" of the story is that Gemma has to loosen up a bit and live in the moment--which I get--but I thought that particular arc wasn't executed as well as it could have been. Gemma needs to focus on academics because she's fairly poor. She must get scholarships in order to go to college. Xander never seemed to understand that, though it's a real issue for many people, with life-altering consequences. For that reason, his flippant attitude throughout soured his character for me a bit.

Still, I enjoyed this book; Gemma was sympathetic, the elements of exploring her cultural heritage were compelling, and the descriptions of food had my stomach rumbling and me fantasizing about takeout. I would recommend this book to teen and adult readers alike.

Slow start, interesting story. Although I thought this book was fantastic, the slow start prevents me from giving it higher than three stars. This has nothing to do with the plot or the characters (whom I enjoyed), but it seemed like there were a lot of unanswered questions and misunderstandings that were resolved more through emotional outbursts than in a timely manner. Once more, I have nothing against this book; in fact, I found it to be quite enjoyable. Although the romance was endearing, I can't say that I was truly cheering them on. More than anything, I liked the mystery. Apart from that, I have nothing more to say. What a mystery!

3.5 (rounded up)

Ex Marks the Spot is a heartwarming YA story about family ties, diaspora identity, and the journey of discovering oneself, all wrapped up in an intriguing inheritance heist amidst the bustling city of Taipei.

All her life, it has always just been Gemma Chan and her mother. However, on the eve of her high school graduation, Gemma receives an inheritance from her estranged grandfather, who she never knew, that leads her on a treasure hunt all the back to his home in Taiwan. Along the way, Gemma reluctantly teams up with her ex-boyfriend, Xander Pan and golden boy, who is seemingly perfect in every way Gemma isn’t. Together, they unravel clues that soon illuminate light on their shared family history and Gemma learns more about her cultural roots and herself in the process.

I absolutely loved the idea of an inheritance treasure hunt and Gloria Chao does a great job tying each clue to aspects of Gemma’s Taiwanese heritage and her grandfather. There were some aspects of the treasure hunt that seemed slightly unbelievable to me, but nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed the story each step of the way. I thought Chao’s depiction of Gemma’s own issues with her Taiwanese-American identity were really well done and the depiction of assimilation, with its good and bad, were really important to explore especially in a young adult novel.

Tying together love, family and loss, Ex Marks the Spot is both a fun and moving YA story full of unexpected twists and turns that will have guessing until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

In this endearing American Chinese coming-of-age novel, the story centers around Gemma Sun, a high school student longing for a broader family beyond just her and her mother. Financial challenges have always been present, forcing her to mature faster than she would have preferred. Gemma takes her academics seriously, aiming for excellent grades to qualify for scholarships. Additionally, her mother, in an attempt to assimilate her completely into American culture, has eradicated all traces of Asian culture from their lives. English is the only language Gemma speaks, and her native culture is completely foreign to her.

Enter Alex (or Xander, as he prefers), Gemma's co-valedictorian at graduation and her nemesis. Xander is popular, seemingly carefree, and comes from a wealthy family that speaks fluent Mandarin. During his graduation speech, he compares everyone to a box of chocolates, leaving the audience in laughter. Gemma wonders how she can possibly follow up on such a captivating speech.

Suddenly, after the graduation ceremony, a man tries to approach Gemma and her mother, prompting her mother to rush them home. Later, Gemma learns that the man was her grandfather's lawyer, attempting to deliver a package intended for her and her mother. Shocked, Gemma discovers that her grandfather has recently passed away, contrary to what her mother had told her when she was young.

Gemma's grandfather has left behind a puzzle that either she or her mother must solve. However, there's a catch—Gemma must travel to Taiwan. To assist her, Xander's program, designed to help Chinese American students connect with their roots, offers a way for her to travel to Taiwan.

Similar to "Love In Taipei," this novel immerses readers in the culture of Taiwan, where the barely there counselors are just young college students with a relaxed approach to the rules, thus allowing Gemma to go off on her own to solve the treasure hunt her grandfather wants her to embark on. Despite their initial dislike for each other, as Gemma and Xander embark on this journey together, Gemma learns more about her culture, herself, and the story of her grandfather. She also discovers that things are not always as they seem, including Xander.
While this book is targeted toward Young Adult readers and is a stand alone, I could easily see this novel turn into a series. I would like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for this e-ARC for my honest review.

Interesting story, slow start. I really enjoyed this book, but the reason I can't give it more than three stars is because the start just felt really slow. This has nothing to do with the story, or the characters (Whom I liked) but it just felt like there were so many questions and a lot of confusion that wasn't taken care of in a timely manner and instead more through emotional outbursts. Again, I have nothing against this book, it was actually really entertaining. The romance was sweet, but I can't say I was really rooting for them in the end. I enjoyed the mystery more than anything. Other than that, I don't have any other comments. Great mystery!