Xavier's father is cold, calculated, and emotionally/physically abusive towards Xavier. I will acknowledge that this is content warning for parental abuse in this book. It is clear from the beginning that Xavier has a strained relationship with his father. Tired of his supposed inability to be successful, Xavier's father sends him back to high school to acquire his diploma.

It is made clear in the first book that Xavier has dyslexia and has pretty much flown under the radar. Wen also does some interesting things in terms of disability representation. But in the true 'Sophie spirit' she doesn't back away from the challenge. She's made fun of and she's looked down on and is constantly told that her ideas aren't good enough for the tech industry. She faces so many challenges when she attempts to combine technology with her love of fashion. Sophie is extremely nervous about her ability to fit into an environment that is not only dominated by men, but also by wealth. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this story is the way that Wen handles the theme of women in tech. Sophie will face struggles at Dartmouth because she misses enrollment for a class she needs for her program and scholarship and Xavier is sent back to high school to get his diploma before he is allowed access to his trust. However, certain circumstances create barriers for both characters. Readers will meet Sophie and Xavier as they are leaving to head to the 'next' stages of their lives. Loveboat Reunion literally picks up right where Loveboat, Taipei leaves off. Nevertheless, I'm happy to say that this is one was enjoyable. Not because I don't trust Abigail Hin Wen as a writer, but it centers a character that I strongly disliked in the first book. Honestly, I was surprised that I enjoyed this book.

Abigail wen