Friends with ARCs | Loveboat Reunion

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars |  Loveboat, Taipei was one of my favorite books of 2020 and I was excited to see what the author would do with Loveboat Reunion, especially since it was now going to put the spotlight on two previous secondary characters: Xavier and Sophie. And let me tell you, these two absolutely deserved a book of their own! 

They have a rocky history. Just to recap: Sophie chased after Xavier, but he wanted Ever, who really wanted Rick who reciprocated those feelings, and Sophie wasn't having any of it. Luckily they all stayed friends, more or less, since leaving Loveboat and now it's about figuring out what they want. Which is never easy. For Sophie, she's determined to be a rockstar at Dartmouth (I loved her determination!) and to put boys on the back burner. Then for Xavier, it's more about getting out from under his father's thumb, who continues to exert control by forcing him into school. But he's determined to find out what will make him happy so that when he does get his trust fund at 18-years-old, he'll be free to do as he pleases. Naturally, as these two are on the road to making their ambitions come true, they start to form a friendship and soon their paths cross again when they throw a Loveboat Reunion. The reunion not only kickstarts getting what they want (from a future/professional perspective), but also brings out the undeniable: their chemistry! 

Similar to the first book, I'm very much drawn to the complicated backstories of these characters' and the glimpses we get into their culture and how it's affected them. Yes, it's still a bit over the top (a la Crazy Rich Asians) but I find that the internal struggles of these teenagers really ground the story. And I absolutely loved getting to know Xavier and Sophie, and watching them eventually get together. Of the boys, Xavier is officially my favorite now (sorry but not sorry Rick!). Of the girls, I have to say I still relate more to Ever on a personal level but that being said, I 100% rooted for Sophie and admired her desire to defy people's expectations of her. This was a solid follow-up and I actually wouldn't mind if she did another book set in this world! 

Would you go to a class reunion? I'd only go if one of my best friends dragged me and/or insisted on it. There are only a few old classmates that I'd be curious to catch up with but I'd rather do that in a small group over some big gathering. Because aside from that small subset of people, I'm really not that interested in how everyone else is doing. (I know that sounds terrible but it's true plus small talk is hard!)

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pub 1/25/22 by HarperTeen
Young Adult - Contemporary
Received e-ARC from pub for review
Goodreads | Author

Collaborative feature with Alexa. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.