Never thought I'd end up here by Ann Liang

A disastrous wedding. An angry aunt. And suddenly, a trip across China. All of this because of one, slightly mispronounced, Mandarin congratulatory. Leah Zhang never meant to wish her cousin a depressing marriage and poor health, but she’s forgotten most of her Mandarin. Quickly, her parents stage an intervention: a two-week-long trip around China and its stunning cities, where Leah will get back to her roots and learn Mandarin. In enters the cynical, annoying Cyrus Sui. The boy who ruined her life. All of a sudden, the trip is taking a sharp jerk to the left, shifting from an educational trip to a bitter plot for revenge against the boy who broke her. But somewhere between quiet conversations at 3AM and split moments at breakfast, Leah feels shifting feelings, and suddenly, she’s questioning both the boy in front of her and her feelings towards him. Does she really hate him? Or were all the shared smiles they had real? 

Never Thought I’d End Up Here is a romance fiction set in China. Ann Liang’s writing carefully crafts the bold story of healing wounds and hesitant hope, drawing in readers with its witty banter and poetic love. It tells the story of two individuals who are slowly finding themselves; and learning to accept the reflection they see.

Ann Liang’s writing style is compelling and unique, capturing readers with her words from the very first page. Never Thought I’d End Up Here is her latest novel, already rising in popularity. I’d recommend this book to any individual with a passion for romance fiction and a heart for banter.

Themes: China, Travel, Romance

Jahnavi B. (Student)