Loveboat, Taipei
Called “fresh as a first kiss” and “poignant and honest” by award-winning authors Stacey Lee and Sabaa Tahir, this romantic and stirring debut is a perfect, fun-filled romp.
Watch the Paramount Plus film adaptation Love in Taipei, starring Ashley Liao and Ross Bulter. Read the Entertainment Weekly interviews.
“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.”
And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict, educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds “Loveboat:” a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.
But not every student is quite what they seem:
- Ever is working towards becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion to dance.
- Rick Woo is the Yale-bound, child-prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.
- Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.
- And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.
When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.
For fans of Crazy Rich Asians, Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen
For Educators: Download the curriculum guide for the Loveboat, Taipei series here.
Book Trailer
Now a Paramount Plus original film!
U.S. Bookstore
International Bookstore
MORE COVERS SOON!
Book Reviews
“If you’re looking for a fun rom-com to heat up your winter, then Loveboat, Taipei is the perfect book for you. While out on a trip in Taiwan to study Mandarin, Ever is expecting her new supervisors to be as strict as her parents. But what she gets instead is a free-range program that shows everyone’s hidden side as they all try to survive the summer in their parents’ homeland.”
— Seventeen Magazine
“Not a ship, but a cultural phenomenon, get ready to board the Love Boat, where millions of Chinese Americans get their first taste of love and freedom. Abigail Hing Wen’s debut is fresh as a first kiss.”
– Stacey Lee, New York Times best selling author of THE DOWNSTAIRS GIRL
“Equal parts surprising, original, and intelligent, LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI is an intense rush of rebellion, romance, and complex family dynamics. If you’ve ever wanted to feel as if you’re breaking all the rules without actually breaking any rules then this is the book you need to read.”
— Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL
“Abigail Hing Wen’s LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI is a poignant and honest examination of first love, family obligations and that strange place between high school and college, where we don’t quite know who we are and as such, anything could happen. A unique story from an exciting and authentic new voice.”
— Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES
“Loveboat is a Crazy Rich Asians meets a Jane Austen comedy of manners—fresh, fun, heartfelt and totally addictive, a story about finding your place–and your people–where you least expected.”
— Kelly Loy Gilbert, Morris Award Finalist author of CONVICTION
“[Loveboat, Taipei] is a wonderful read and I find the book has just stayed with me. It has so much to say about being the child of immigrants, about gender and sexuality, about identity and what makes a home. Ever’s search to define herself, with all her intersecting identities, in a world that wants to define her, is really beautifully wrought and lovely.”
— Anne Ursu, author of National Book Award long-listed novel THE LOST BOY
“An entertaining and heartfelt debut that takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of romance and self-discovery.”
— Kirkus Review
“Ever’s summer [turns] into one of love, mischief, and self-awakening that she will soon not forget… [but] It’s Ever’s resulting growth in the face of parental expectations and heartache that will resonate most with readers far and wide.”
— Booklist
Newsletter
Receive updates on books, film, tour dates and giveaways!