Review Detail

What worked: Satisfying conclusion to the coming-of-age romance set in Taipei. In this case, this story is about Pearl, the sister of Ever. Pearl is a music prodigy whose heart is set to attend the Apollo, an exclusive New York Summer Symphony. After a social media blowup, Pearl is canceled from the school. But she finds a chance to regroup by attending Chien Tan, the infamous 'loveboat' in Taipei.

What's fun about this trilogy is readers are able to see students at a summer school that embraces their Asian culture and the other parts that come along with it. The school isn't called the loveboat for nothing! There's hook-ups, parties, sneaking out into the city at night, heartbreaks, love connections, and more.

Pearl knows about the history of the school from her sister. She tries to follow her manager's advice and hang low so she can repair her reputation, but fate has other plans for her.

I really liked the cultural part of this book where Pearl learns that an ancestor of hers was famous for playing a traditional instrument. She goes on a hunt to find the instrument that went missing after her ancestor fled the country during a war. Pearl finds pride in her culture and who she is along the way.

There's also a love triangle. Ethan, another famous music prodigy and the elusive Kai with his own secrets. Add to that the secret dark parties and the hunt for a guy at the masked event who kissed her.

There's a lot of growth readers see in Pearl. She goes to the summer school feeling wronged to discover the truth about her own family and finally embrace that part of herself. She also learns to stand up for what she truly wants and not just fit in within the lines. Pearl finds her voice.

Sweet romance set in Taipei.