So after Loveboat, Taipei I was not sure where this companion novel would go. But having read Loveboat Reunion this one is stunning and such a fantastic pairing! Sophie and Xavier – even though they weren’t my favorites from the first – were absolutely stunning here. I have so many thoughts and hidden joys, keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
It’s a classic tale of girl-meets-boy, boy-meets-other-girl, heart-gets-broken, revenge-is-plotted, everything-blows-up. Spectacularly.
At least they’re friends now. They’ve left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.
Now fall is here, and it’s time to focus on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Forget finding the right guy to make her dreams come true—Sophie is going to make her future happen for herself. Xavier, on the other hand, just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy, for the first time ever.
But the world doesn’t seem to want Sophie and Xavier to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.
Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, each trying to resist the chemistry that originally led to them to combust. As they grow closer, they hatch a plan to take control of their own futures. Step one? Break all the rules.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Loveboat Reunion unexpectedly hit me in the feels. Xavier’s struggles with dyslexia and his family’s perceived shame (and lack of knowledge) about his learning disorder combined made me emotional. Not to mention the sexism Sophie has to undergo combined with her sheer levels of passion made her an instant favorite. Loveboat Reunion is a testament to side characters having their own stories to tell. Hidden nuances, motivations we can’t necessarily see when we look through their eyes, and their own truths to unravel.
But above all, Loveboat Reunion is a story about perception and invention. It’s about the reputations and personas we create for the world. That we use to hide our own fears and insecurities. We can allow people to create an image of us, a perception of us that we adopt like a mask. However, in Loveboat Reunion both Sophie and Xavier have to face this question of (re)invention. Of trying to break free from what they think is who they are. To wonder if they can find strength in what people see and to cast aside what they hate.
I was consistently drawn to how both Sophie and Xavier navigate these identities. The ways that family can pull us back, force us to see ourselves through their eyes. We have to come to terms with the fact that we aren’t always who we even seem, that there’s a layer between who we want to be, and what our actions say. Sophie and Xavier’s evolution in Loveboat Reunion is heartfelt as they learn about family, love, and themselves. They make mistakes, change their minds, and learn that family isn’t always who we think they are.
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It’s a companion novel that may surprise you, but is a definite recommendation if you loved Loveboat, Taipei. Find Loveboat Reunion on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
I was super on the fence about this companion but after your review I think I’ll have to pick it up! Sophie and Xavier definitely were characters that I didn’t quite love in Loveboat, Taipei but now I’m intrigued to see what their characters have to in store!
OMG YES! I ended up falling SO in love with their stories and their characters