"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!

Ex Marks the Spot is a fun, funny, and emotional journey of self and familial discovery for Gemma and Xander in this rivals-to-lovers, second-chance romance. Gemma, when she finds out that her grandfather, whom she previously thought was deceased, was alive until recently left her an inheritance, she's excited to receive the money she desperately needs to attend college. Instead, she finds puzzles and riddles that lead her on a treasure hunt starting in Taiwan. Along the way and with the assistance of her ex, Xander, they uncover tied family secrets, history, lost love, and potentially almost commit a crime. This is a book you won't want to miss.

A fun book with a great cover and amazing title, but ultimately did not reach my expectations. I just couldn't get over some details not really making sense, but other than that EX MARKS THE SPOT is a solid YA.

oh wow Gloria definitely makes me want to visit Tiawan now! This definitely reminded me of the Amazing race with a couple who's enemies to lovers and in YA range. The setting and adventure sounds so much fun. The family secret's part was innovative and interesting with how it lined up with the story line. I can't wait to read what the author has next.

Gemma, newly graduated from high school, has never known her relatives beyond her mother, so when a lawyer shows up with the will of her now deceased grandfather, she is curious to find out more. The will turns out to be a treasure hunt in Taiwan, and through the magic of storytelling, Gemma just happens to have the connections that can get her to Taiwan with a school group. The only hitch is that she will have to travel with her ex and nemesis, Xander. This was a fun book, especially if you enjoy mystery puzzles, but without the intensity of potentially being killed as in The Inheritance Games.

call me a nerd but i love a good puzzle. i often start and end my day doing them. so when you tell me a book if focused around different puzzles that were created by the main character’s late grandfather for an inheritance treasure hunt that brings her halfway across the world. count me in!

putting everything aside in the story besides the inheritance puzzle hunt, i think it was done pretty damn well. as much as i love puzzles, i know being a puzzle maker is a whole other ball game that does truly take some talent. so i absolutely commend gloria chao for making puzzles that the reader could probably have actually gone on themselves and tried to solve. and having our main character not speak/read mandarin it definitely allowed some hand-holding for the puzzles that needed translations, which definitely was an added bonus for probably many readers that also don’t know the language and it’s word-play nuances. puzzles aside, i would definitely agree with other reviewers that the actual hunt went a bit too well for how an real-world one may have gone. i love a good puzzle and i know that especially with sequential puzzles you’re bound to get stuck with far less progress than gemma and xander made. but i’ll give cut it out to them bering just very smart people.

as for the other aspects, i loved that this hunt allowed for gemma to become more in touch with her heritage and all that entailed. i do wish we had more interactions with the other TARPers and with the itinerary that would have been planned for them. but i understand that with the built-in time crunch it really was a pick and choose and gemma is not one to stray away from her plans. so unfortunately (but forunately) we were shown different sights of taiwain than what would probably have been expected. and of course was intentional to show her grandfather’s story. his story, which definitely represents a physical version of gemma’s missing heritage. i think rather than be a true grief story for gemma, since she was so disconnected from her extended family. it allowed her to become more comfortable with her taiwanese side of herself. through the landscapes, the people, and especially the food. i can appreciate what chao was executing.

while i think some aspects maybe wasn’t necessary (the love triangle) or were underdeveloped (her relationships with the other TARPers). i think this story executed it’s main goal, being a love letter to taiwan hidden behind a whimsy “high stakes” scavenger hunt. even if i couldn’t solve all the clues myself in the literal puzzles, it was obvious (to me at least) where her grandfather’s story was going. but i still appreciated the reveals anyways, especially the final one in the park. i’ll leave it at that. this was a cute romance, one perfect for puzzle lovers.

Alright this was fun. A very nice story about finding your roots and learning more about your heritage. I feel the FMC is a bit annoying at times but maybe that just the age is intended for. The mmc is a bit the same but he does seem a bit more mature. Overall this is a great book for YA . Definitely will be recommending for my nieces .

Ex Marks the Spot is a fun, adventure-filled journey packed with treasure hunts, family secrets, and a touch of enemies-to-lovers romance. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Taiwan, it explores themes of self-discovery, culture, and legacy—all while taking readers on a whirlwind mystery.

The premise is undeniably exciting! Gemma Sun, freshly graduated, is thrown into an unexpected inheritance hunt after discovering a puzzle in her estranged grandfather’s will. With college tuition looming and little financial stability, she jumps at the chance—only to realize she’ll need help from her former academic rival and ex, Xander. As they navigate Taiwan’s stunning landscapes, Gemma pieces together her grandfather’s past, uncovering long-buried family secrets that reshape everything she thought she knew.

The descriptions of Taiwan’s culture, history, and food are absolutely mouth-watering and beautiful, making the island feel like a character of its own. The way Gemma connects with her heritage is both meaningful and emotional, adding real depth to the story.

However, while the adventure is engaging, the puzzle-solving aspect can feel a bit convoluted. Some clues are hard to follow, making it difficult to stay fully invested in the mystery. Also,, the romance between Gemma and Xander, while promising, didn't really get the development it deserved. Their banter was fun, but their chemistry feels rushed at times, and a love triangle moment detracts from their potential connection.

Despite these hiccups, Ex Marks the Spot is an entertaining read, perfect for those who love lighthearted adventures with cultural depth. If you’re drawn to stories about family legacies, travel, and rediscovering one’s roots, this book is worth picking up. Just be prepared—you will be craving Taiwanese food by the end!

Really cute YA book filled with adventure, rivals to lovers and exploring the past. On the eve of graduation, Gemma learns about family she never knew she had and sets off to claim a potential inheritance. Unfortunately, she's got to rely on the boy who broke her heart at the beginning of high school, Xander. He'll help her navigate through Taiwan and they'll learn to work together again.

For the most part, I did like this story a lot more than the Inheritance Games series. Those books annoyed my to now end because all the characters in it felt ver y two dimensional and the puzzles weren't very intriguing or interesting. THANKFULLY this book was different. Although I had many issues with Xander, namely being how he called Gemma names and used the excuse of "wanting to have fun" way too often, I did think he was an okay character in the end. Gemma was my favorite as were there other TARP friends on the trip. Gemma's determination and strength to learn about her family and what her grandfather went through was incredible. Especially when Xander and Gemma learned the truth about their grandfathers relationship. I still kind of wish she ended up with Brett but oh well!

Ex Marks the Spot starts with a typical YA set up. Gemma is graduating and even though she feels like she did everything right, graduating at the top of her class and getting in to a good college to start a better life for her and her mom, she can’t help but feel like she missed out in high school. In true YA fashion, a man shows up after graduation and turns everything upside down. Surprise! Her grandfather who she thought died years ago? He just died and has left everything to Gemma and her mother which leads to a scavenger hunt in Taiwan because these things are never easy. From there, Gemma has to enlist her ex, Xander’s help in getting a spot in an exclusive club’s trip to Taiwan and completing the scavenger hunt.

This book was fun! I enjoyed the mystery and heart behind the story. The romance was a little slow to enter the story, but once it started, I enjoyed that too.

I did have a hard time connecting with Gemma. I didn’t feel like she was the most likeable character. Although I could understand her motives for a lot of things she did, since she came from a family that struggled to make ends meet and she didn’t have a lot of people she cared about, I didn’t love her choices. A big part of her character is that she feels she can’t have fun because she has to work so hard for everything. And although given her situation it made sense, it also felt like she pitied herself a lot and it made her into an unnecessarily-cold character.

There’s also a weird secondary romance in this book between the main character and a secondary character I never remember the name of (to be fair, he is basically interchangeable with another character). It basically starts as he’s there and he’s interested and no one has ever been interested in Gemma before. It left a bad taste for me. And then it ends the way most love triangles do with a “don’t worry he was a jerk the whole time” / “you never loved me anyway” situation for a nice and easy resolution. It was a weird and unnecessary plot line that felt a bit forced.

I did enjoy Gemma and Xander’s dynamic. It was second chance meets rivals in the best way. Maybe a little heavy on the rival part for most of the book. But once their romance started to pick up, I really enjoyed the way their characters’ personalities opposed each other. It made for an interesting dynamic. Plus, their banter was hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud.

The real star of the book was Gong Gong. Gloria Chao will slowly break your heart as she reveals his story. I loved everything about it and wish he had his own book honestly.

In the end, not my favorite Gloria Chao book, but definitely not one to miss out on either!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the eARC!

A young woman gets a letter from her newly deceased grandfather and it opens a whole new world to her as he sets her off on a treasure hunt.

I have to admit that I had trouble reading this book. It took me a while to get into it. I can’t really pinpoint the reason why except for maybe Gemma just seemed all over the place. Gloria Chao gives us a great premise with a treasure hunt which turns into looking for more than an inheritance. I liked this part of the story a lot.

We get to see the rich history of Taipei and Chao gives us sensory overload from the food to the sights to see. Then we have the unfolding of Gemma’s own family history and it’s heartbreaking and difficult. There is a scene where Gemma meets one of her relatives and it hits hard. It’s real life and the author doesn’t sugarcoat it.

I think the biggest struggle I have with the story is the romance. Chao introduces other potentials and Gemma goes for them. She just seems so thirsty to me. So it doesn’t come across as genuine when Xander and her start to bond.

If the story just focused on the treasure hunt and only Xander as a romantic interest, I would have liked this story a lot better. Or if it just concentrated on the hunt and had Xander as background, it would have played better for me. I loved going to Taiwan and this book makes me want to go there in person.