Publishers Weekly
01/22/2024
An Aussie teen’s perfect facade crumbles when her private emails are leaked to the whole school in this sardonic love story by Liang (This Time It’s Real). Seventeen-year-old Sadie Wen is a model student: she’s a school captain, has stellar grades, and is an active volunteer. But while she’s friendly on the outside, she secretly pours her frustrations into email drafts ripping into fellow students’ work ethics and unfair teacher assessments. Sadie’s most heated vexations are channeled toward her co-captain, irksome childhood rival Julius Gong. When the emails are accidentally sent, Sadie must face the music. Not only has she raised the ire of her fellow students and teachers, but she’s also expected to work with Julius on various activities around the school in a show of camaraderie. The snarky duo’s forced proximity allows them to open up, be vulnerable, and learn to appreciate each other for the first time. Underlying themes of parental abandonment, bullying, and academic stress add depth to the teens’ developing relationship in this well-paced, banter-filled rivals-to-lovers romance. Sadie and Julius are Chinese Australian. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Praise for I Hope This Doesn't Find You:
* "A must-read, this novel is full of charming dialogue, romantic-tension scenes, and heart-melting moments." — School Library Journal, starred review
"This sweet, cozy story is full of charming dialogue and laugh-out-loud scenes . . . Full of giggles, snark, and sweetness: Rom-com lovers, I hope this does find you." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for This Time It's Real:
* "Eliza is an enchanting, hilarious, and vulnerable heroine . . . an irresistible tale by Liang." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A sweet and emotional love story." — Booklist, starred review
"An angst-y, heartstring-tugging romance between two sympathetic leads . . . Irresistible fun with unexpected sincereity." — Kirkus Reviews
"A total delight. Laugh out loud funny, sweet, and romantic, this is a sparkling gem of a book." — Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and No Words
"Ann Liang's This Time it's Real has it all — a messy but lovable heroine, fake-dating, Beijing! In short, a fun rom-com with loads of heart that is easy to fall for." — Emiko Jean, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
"Poignant, charming, and threaded with undeniable tenderness. The fake dating delivers both epic swoons and profoundly heart-melting moments, and Eliza's journey from self-contained to self-assured is beautifully empowering. I can't wait to read more from Ann Liang." — Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of Today Tonight Tomorrow and See You Yesterday
"An ordinary girl and a C-drama actor having to fake date, what's not to love? Funny, heartfelt, with the absolute best setting of an international school in Beijing, Ann Liang delivers a swoon-worthy story about taking chances and falling in love. A sparkling romcom from a talented new voice." — Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and XOXO
"A poignant coming-of-age story and a sweet exploration of what it means to find a place (or a person) that feels like 'home.' Fun and fresh!" — Kat Cho, New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a K-Prom
"Ann Liang pens a rich cultural world in this sparkling coming of age story with beautiful takes on identity and authenticity, and so much heart I thought mine was going to burst. Caz and Eliza are absolutely delightful!" — Laura Taylor Namey, New York Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
"At once laugh-out-loud funny and taut with romantic tension, This Time It's Real is all the best parts of a fake dating romcom." — Adiba Jaigirdar, award-winning author of The Henna Wars and Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating
"In This Time It's Real, Liang's writing shines, weaving in cultural elements seamlessly while taking us through Beijing. A fun fake-dating romance to lose yourself in, filled with squeal-worthy moments." — Gloria Chao, author of Rent a Boyfriend and When You Wish Upon a Lantern
"A pitch-perfect romance! This Time It's Real is a ridiculously fun and adorable fake-dating, slow-burn story full of humor and charm. Perfect for fans of Gloria Chao, Sandhya Menon and Jenny Han." — Suzanne Park, author of Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous and The Christmas Clash
"Liang hits every mark in this wildly fun fake-dating adventure straight out of my romcom dream journal. I loved every minute of it!" — Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer
School Library Journal
★ 06/14/2024
Gr 9 Up—Sadie Wen is the school captain, valedictorian, an overachiever, and a people-pleaser. Julius Gong, another overachiever, is a co-captain. Over the past decade, the two have been competing in academics, athletics, and anything else possible. They seldom talk to each other, communicating instead via unspoken body languages, eye-rolling and hasty sighs. Sadie vents her frustrations in email drafts addressed to Julius and others, such as Rosie, who won last year's science fair with work she stole from Sadie, and English teacher Ms. Johnson, who refused to round up 89.5 points to 90 for one of her assignments. Sadie has no intention to send those email drafts, but one day, they are sent out to the entire student body and staff. Sadie immediately becomes the most hated person at Woodvale Academy. After years of avoiding conflicts, she must work to get back in everyone's good graces. In the process of fixing the situation, Sadie discovers that Julius is on her side and, in this rivals-to-lovers story, realizes that Julius has been hiding his feelings toward her. The story takes a sharp turn when Sadie's email drafts are mysteriously sent out—yet, how are the drafts sent out? Did Sadie make a wrong click? Did someone use her laptop, sending out the drafts intentionally? Nobody knows, and readers are kept wondering all the way to the end. VERDICT A must-read, this novel is full of charming dialogue, romantic-tension scenes, and heart-melting moments.—Anna Ching-Yu Wong
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-16
When her cathartic hate-email drafts are accidentally sent out, a teen girl tries to smooth things over with the guy who infuriates her most.
After her father left years ago, Sadie Wen vowed to be a good daughter for her mother’s sake. Now in her final year at her prestigious high school in Melbourne, Australia, Sadie has proven her perfection—she’s school co-captain, gets good grades, and excels in extracurriculars—all while helping at their family bakery. Being perfect is tough, but she copes by unleashing her frustration in email drafts she never intends to send. When they accidentally go out, Sadie’s perfect image crumbles. While some were written to people who had wronged her, Sadie addressed the most ruthless emails—some dating back nine years—to her longtime nemesis and school co-captain, Julius Gong. When someone posts a video of their subsequent public altercation, damaging the school’s reputation, the principal forces Sadie and Julius to work together on school projects as punishment. At first, it seems like they’ll never get along, but as the Chinese Australian teens get to know each other, Sadie realizes that there might be more than pure loathing between them. This sweet, cozy story is full of charming dialogue and laugh-out-loud scenes. Alongside the romance storyline, Sadie learns about going beyond just pleasing others. The emotional angst and awkwardness, adolescent pressures, and other emotions are engaging and relatable.
Full of giggles, snark, and sweetness: Rom-com lovers, I hope this does find you. (Romance. 12-18)
