I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking things: the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way Gemma can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, she finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Short and Sweet Review

For her whole life it has just been Gemma and her mom against the world, so when a man shows up informing her of her grandfathers death Gemma is shocked. In her grandfather’s will she finds a clue that she thinks will lead her to her inheritance but she needs to find a way to Taiwan. Fortunately she knows someone who can get her there, unfortunately it’s her ex boyfriend Xander. After asking Xander and getting a yes she finds herself in Taiwan with a goal of finishing this treasure hunt.

Ex Marks the Spot is more than a treasure hunt but it’s a discovery of culture, family history, and love. I really enjoyed this book we follow our main character Gemma as she tries to learn more about the grandfather she didn’t even know existed. In his will he left behind some clues and Gemma is determined to follow them and find the treasure at the end. Gemma considers Xander her rival but before that they used to date until it all went wrong. Anyway you can tell that these two still have feelings for each other and even though Xander comes across as nonchalant he’ll do anything he can to help Gemma and on the other hand Gemma does get upset whenever she starts to think about her life if Xander wasn’t in it. Anyway in Taiwan there’s also ten other students there to get an immersive experience. Gemma tries to balance getting the immersive experience and also following the clues her grandfather left. I did enjoy going through Taiwan and learning about the different locations that the characters go to. Over the course of the book Gemma learns more about her grandfather and she also learns the reasons why her mom never mentioned him. I think the things that Gemma learns during her time away helped her learn a lot about herself and the people she has closest to her.

Overall, this was a fun book but also very heartfelt. Not only does Gemma get to learn more about her culture but she gets to know her grandfather in a way that he wanted that showed parts of him that others didn’t know. I also enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Gemma and Xander play out and I was glad he was able to be there for her and help her. I would recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a treasure hunt and some romance.