Never Thought I'd End Up Here: the next gorgeous rom-com from the author of I Hope This Doesn't Find You

I dont really read at all but i liked this, very sweet, light and i cried a lot. Its a story about healing but still so many times i laughed out loud which was a nice mix💕

Leah makes a terrible mistake at her cousin’s wedding. She must improve her second language skills. So, she is sent on a trip that will do just that and also teach her more about Chinese culture. And there she finds herself facing an old enemy. However, relationships and attitudes change …. This a gentle romance. I could see what was coming and it all took rather longer than it needed to happen. Nevertheless, a satisfying read and very well drawn characters.

The thing about Ann Liang books is that I simultaneously want to get to the end of the story but also never want the book to finish. Ann's YA characters are so relatable. Honestly I wish I could time travel back to when I was 17 and give myself the gift of Ann's books and just tell my 17-year-old self :it's okay, you're going to be okay. In this book I loved both Leah and Cyrus. I thought they were very well drawn characters. I think Leah is very different from Sadie because Sadie is an overachiever, she excels in academia whilst Leah is quite lost in life and I think it's okay if you're one or the other when you're 17. It's absolutely fine to know what you want to do in life later on to be driven like Sadie, but it's also absolutely fine if you're still trying to figure things out like Leah. As always it's not just about the romance in this book. It's also about Leah trying to find her place and identity hlwhilst she is on this epic journey through China. As readers we are invited to join her in this journey and we are rewarded with a story that's emotional, heartfelt and ultimately comforting and hopeful. The romance blossoms in front of our eyes and we have a lot of interactions between Cyrus and Leah and that allow us to see the dynamics in full. I thought Oliver was such a fun and memorable side character.

Amusing, got my child pit of a book slump. Highly recommended.

Ann Liang can do no wrong and proves again that she is one of the best YA authors out there. Never thought I'd end up there is easily in my top 3 favourite Ann Liang books, and Cyrus might be my favourite male character she has ever written.