First published 2024
Pearl Wong arrives in Taipei carrying the weight of a spectacular fall from grace. The seventeen-year-old music prodigy had mapped out a perfect summer until scandal derailed her plans. Now she needs more than new plans. She needs a complete image overhaul. Pearl enrolls at Chien Tan, the prestigious summer program where her sister Ever once found romance and direction. But Chien Tan operates under another name among its students: Loveboat. Here, brilliant teenagers party until sunrise in a world of privilege and excess. Pearl discovers the program holds surprises she never anticipated. A clandestine gathering unfolds in darkness. A mysterious young man captures her attention, sparking unexpected attraction. The summer stretches ahead, promising transformation she cannot yet imagine. Pearl must navigate this glittering landscape of ambition and desire while rebuilding herself from the ground up.
Genres: romance, coming-of-age, contemporary, contemporary-romance
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water, new-beginnings
Setting: Chien Tan, Taipei
Period: Summer
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