I Could Give You the Moon

by Ann Liang

Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.

While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.

Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.

But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Fantasy

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn't Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who’s a good dog.

Reviews

[Annabella⁷ (blackford & henry li’s version)]

🙏🙏🙏HENRY LI PLEASE MAKE AN APPEARANCE FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH AND SANITY🙏🙏🙏

Chanel’s story🫶 in 2026😫. "MORE ANGST, MORE YEARNING, MORE TENSION"!!!!!!!

[mitra ౨ৎ]

A SPINOFF OF IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN (lives will change because of this book)

[ଘRory]

I COULD GIVE YOU MY HEART 🧎!!
2025 is already boring , waiting for 2026 🤧

[Cara]

JANUARY 1ST 2026?!?! WHAT? THAT'S SO FAR AWAY😭😭!!!!!!!

[jenoodle✮⋆˙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

── .✦ 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 💜⊹꒷꒦ ｡ﾟ
╰🌷 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸! 🥶₊°◞

₊˚ʚ ☔️𓂃˖˳ 𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 ⵢ₊˚. 🦋 ̟ !!
⤷ ☁️⸝⸝ 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚, 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.), 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙞𝙣𝙟𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚.), 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: 13+ (𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨, 𝙛*𝙘𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝*𝙩) 🩷‧₊˚.
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
🎧 ︵︵₊˚now playing: 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙡 𝙉𝙤. 5 👾‧₊˚⊹
˙ . ꒷ 🪼 — 𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙖
⌞0:31 ——◦———— 3:00⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ ┋🎀˖˳·˖
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹

🌊 ₊˚‧꒰ "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙡 𝙉𝙤. 5"꒱ 💗 ₊˚‧

⸝⸝🫧‧₊˚. This book became my new reason for living in this insane corrupt world. THIS BOOK MADE ME HAVE FAITH IN TRUE LOVE. Because I kid you not, I was shattered and then pieced back together all within the span of MERE pages. 😫 I never felt so much joy and happiness (maybe even jealousy) reading a book that was a spin off from another one. BECAUSE IN MY OPNION, THIS BOOK WAS BETTER THAN IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN. And I will argue with anyone who disagrees. WE HAVE TENSION, DRAMA, ROMANCE, AND DARE I SAY THRILLER?? Because if you know Ann Liang you are bound to know she adds some kind of twist and magic in her writing. AND OH BOY, I CAN SAY WE GET THAT IN HERE. 👀 I'm actually going to be CRYING for the next 8ish months because this doesn't release until 2026 and I NEEEEEEED that psychical copy in my hands. (I also need the fastest ticket to getting inside this book as well thanks.) 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Oh and I do want to give a little mention to all my Henry Li fans... he does in fact show up in this book. 😋😋

🌊 ₊˚‧꒰ "𝙎𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙢𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚"꒱ 💗 ₊˚‧

⸝⸝🫧‧₊˚. In this story we follow the PRETTIEST, RICHEST, AND OFC BADDIEST GIRL KNOWN TO MANDKIND. 💅*drumroll* CHANEL CAO!!! This girl is RICH RICH. And I mean she doesn't just but her fave expensive dresses, OH NO HUN. SHE COULD BUY THE ENTIRE STORE. (lowkey giving young asian Kim Kardashian🧐🧐) She's that perfect picture model everyone wants be while they see her on their IG pages. But guess what? SHE ISN'T THAT PERFECT AFTER ALL!!! WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED!! (Not me guys, not me, I would not have known.🤫🤐) And what happens when you have this pretty girl with semi daddy issues AND the pressure of being perfect all the time, fall in love? Oh you get a JUICY MYSTERY FILLED PLOT, and ofc A JUICY mc who is the total opposite of her.

ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET FOLKS!!!



AND HERE WE MEET *drumroll* ARES YIN!!! We are talking, black wolf cut, piercings, a grumpy attitude, AND HES A BOXER? Holy mamacita I was in for a treat. 🤭🤭 And when I say words could not describe how much I loved him. I mean it. HIS CHEMISTRY WITH CHANEL WAS OFF THE DANG CHARTS. THE SLOW BURN?? THE YEARNING?? THE SUBTLE ACTIONS HE WOULD DO?? WHERE CAN I FIND HIM ON AMAZON?!! 📈📈 This guy right here might me the best book boyfriend in the Ann Liang universe. I was gagged, dead, astonished. And what made it worse was he remined me SOOOOOOOO much of someone I had a crush on in real life. (Even his mannerisms.) So it was safe to say I was over here swooning like there was no tomorrow. 😞😞😞

🌊 ₊˚‧꒰ "𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙖, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨"꒱ 💗 ₊˚‧

⸝⸝🫧‧₊˚. And what can I say? When you got characters like those it was SO hard not to love the plot. There was so much tension and mystery and I was just so invested. I MEAN WHO WOULDN'T BE WHEN YOU HAVE OPPOSITES ATTRACT X GRUMPY X SUNSHINE?? 🙊🙊 It was art purely in the form of words. And yes, I know you are probably wondering why I didn't rate this a five star. AND THAT IS BECAUSE I HAVE ONE ISSUE, AND ONE ISSUE THAT MADE THIS NOT PERFECT.

And that was the near ending. Because I cannot tell you how mad I was when it started getting rushed. 😭😞

We have this whole slow-burning going on and I felt like it was messy towards the end. It was like stargazing at a beautiful sky in peace only to be hit with an atomic bomb, YOU DID EVEN KNOW WAS COMING. (Which I mean is the point of bombs but we are going to ignore that.) And because everything about this book was so perfect and wonderful, I was disappointed when the ending become a bit messy and sort of predictable. 😫LIKE WHY COULDN’T WE TAKE OUR TIME AND CHILLAX GUYS?! 😫😫😫🥲🥲

BUT I'M NOT GONNA LIE AND SAY I DIDN'T ENJOY THE BOOK STILL, BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DID. 🤝

🤍₊˚⊹ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 👛୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

🪻𓂃 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥: I don't know what it was about her in this book but I actually ATE THIS QUEEN UP. She was such a girl boss and gave badahh energy while still being feminine which I DEVOURED. Seeing her become vulnerable throughout the story really shattered me, NOT TO MENTION HOW RELATABLE AND REAL SHE WAS AT TIMES. I really loved that she got her own book because I enjoyed reading about her character so so much.
🪻𓂃 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐬: MY MAN. MY BABY. MY LOML. MY POOR LITTLE EMO BOY. I swear this character destroyed me. He was just the CUTEST thing on earth and his personality made it even better omg. THE WAY HE WAS WRITTEN WAS BEYOND PERFECT. Like I kid you not he even be more of a gentleman then THE Wes Bennett. Seeing his family struggles, his vulnerable side, the things he would DOOOOOO. And his style? Don't even get me started. IT'S GIVING THE MAN YOU SEE AT THE MALL AND NEVER SEE AGAIN BUT STILL DAYDREAM ABOUT. I honestly think he will be living rent free in my mind for the months to come. I literally love him so much it's hard to capture into words.

☂️.*• There is other characters that become HEAVILY invested into the plot of this book. But because this is a spoiler free review, that is for you to find out and discover. But let me warn you babes, THE TEA IS PIPING HOTTER THAN ALL THE KATSEYE MEMBERS ON THAT GAP AD. 😫😫😫

🌊 ₊˚‧꒰ "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙡 𝙉𝙤. 5"꒱ 💗 ₊˚‧

⸝⸝🌌‧₊˚. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
I think this might be my new fave comfort book. I HONESTLY THINK SO GUYS. I loved every aspect of this and I seriously cannot wait for this to be released. If you are hesitant about adding this to your TBR and reading it, GIRL SHUT THE HECK UP AND JUST DO IT!! Because I swear this book was perfection and you will INDEED thank me later. Alright brb ima go make that Ares Yin Pinterest board, xoxo. 💋

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦
🦋💗 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: GUESS WHO GOT THE ARC FOR THIS CUTIE AFTER READING THE FIRST BOOK 🙈🙈 IM ACTUALLY SO EXCITED TO SEE CHANELS STORY IN THIS ONE 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[ivy || v. busy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars ✧ minor spoilers included.

'anything that matters to you matters to me.’

⟡ ladies and gentlemen, this book may be in my top 3 ann liang books of all time. she continues to surprise me with her love stories, her characters that we can’t help but feel empathetic towards - even if we might dislike them at the beginning - her ever-changing storylines, and her beautiful writing style. it genuinely surprises me everytime she releases a book and it immediately becomes my new obsession - so many authors continue to disappoint me with their releases, but she continues to deliver hit after hit. i wish i could unread this so i could experience the euphoric feeling of this book for the first time once again.

i could give you the moon follows chanel cao, our extremely rich and famous instagram model fmc and our stoic and straightforward mmc, ares yin. (i’m on my knees for this man.) the two of them share a vision together at a lake - essentially tying their fates together. both of them realize they have to work together, whether they like it or not. ares & chanel both have secrets they’re unwillingly to tell the other party, and throughout the story, we see them desperately trying to save themselves from this inevitable fate - but of course, they fall in love along the way.

♯ chanel cao. i’m so surprised at how much i enjoyed her character. in the beginning i was a bit skeptical because her biggest dream and goal in life was to be crowned the prom queen at her school. this made me laugh out loud sometimes - the emphasis on how important this was to her was a bit ridiculous. there were moments where she would break down because she thought she wasn’t going to win prom queen. however, we see her transform into a practical and down-to-earth character. one of my favorite moments in this book was where she realized that these moments that give you only a fleeting moment of satisfaction are generally useless - and that what is most important is the moments with the people you love. chanel is definitely ann’s least relatable fmc, however, i don’t think that was ann’s goal in this book - more so the love story.

♯ ares yin. OKAY MY MAN MY MAN!! while reading every book i write down my thoughts and the sum of all my thoughts for this book is how much i ADORE ares yin. he, as every ann mmc starts out, is extremely closed off, but as the story develops, we see how much he genuinely cares about the people he loves. the little things he would do for chanel were so touching (where can I get my own?) exhibit A: a few months before they started dating, when they were still “enemies”, chanel mentioned how she would buy this dress if only it had spaghetti straps, and months later when they began dating, ares got her the dress she wanted, even though the store didn’t do adjustments 🥹 exhibit B: waiting in line for hours to buy her a lychee pink cake because she wasn’t able to eat one for her birthday C: buying a flood of bots to remove comments about her parents’ divorce because she thought it would ruin her image. the list goes on and on and on. the way i was giggling when he talked to her 😍🤭 ann liang mmc’s are always the elite.

꒱ ┊the romance. oh my gosh they were the most adorable couple ever. i always eat the sunshine grumpy trope up (as long as the sunshine isn’t annoying). he was so grumpy but in the best way possible. she was so sweet and sunshine-y in the best way possible, too. some people might not like the way chanel used some of her “techniques” to manipulate him & make him fall in love with her at times, but honestly, she was the hottest when she did that 🫦 the lipgloss scene with chanel on the sink 🧎🏻‍♀️ the tension in this whole book was INSANE. i loved how their relationship didn’t move that fast - it was more of a slowburn. yearning and tension will always get me over insta lust.

side characters.

- long ge - this guy was GOOFY af lmao get him out of here!! not him setting up an entire illegal empire, exploiting children, and trying to kill people to impress a woman that will never want him was so embarrassing 💀 this plotline was so silly honestly.
- coco cao - it confused me how she suddenly redeemed herself at the end of the book, but i guess whatever works
- i thought that maybe the relationship between coco and chanel’s dad would somehow get a side plotline - because at the beginning, i thought they were both hiding something. it would’ve been nice if we got a little more of a deep dive into that, but that could’ve possibly made the story way more complicated.
- alicehenry fans: the mention of them in here was adorable, the alicehenry fans will eat it up

bottom line: i wish ann liang could release a book every week.

- thank you so much to my lovely girl yienne for reading this book with me <3 i couldn't have chosen a better reading partner for this book 🥹💌 here's to many more 💫🧸🕯️

thank you to netgalley for this eARC!

˗📨 pre - read
♯ cue me screaming when i got the email telling me i got this ARC 🥹
. buddy reading this with my best friend, yienne (i cannot believe we're finally doing a br together 🩵, i adore u twin)

- thank you to netgalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[sky ⋆]

we finally got a cover and its BEAUTIFUL YAYAYAY (didnt expect any less from queen)

[maelyn !]

the cover is so pretty oh my

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Well, I absolutely loved Alice and Henry Li’s paranormal romance in If You Could See the Sun, so when I found out there was a sequel—this time focusing on Alice’s glamorous former roommate, the It Girl and social media star Chanel Cao—I literally fist-pumped the air and shouted YAY! It felt so good to return to Airington, especially for an enemies-to-lovers romance laced with supernatural intrigue. I devoured this in one sitting, loved it just as much as the first book, and I’m already crossing my fingers for a third installment (please let it be Luke’s story!).

The story opens on a rooftop, where Chanel—Airington’s own “Beijing Serena van der Woodsen”—is helping a friend confront her cheating boyfriend. But what she doesn’t expect is to cross paths with mysterious new student Ares Yin. He’s intimidating, brooding, a boy of few words with a magnetic presence that pulls people toward him like moths to a flame. Intrigued, Chanel follows him…and stumbles upon a hidden lakeside spot where the moonlit water reveals visions of the future like a crystal ball.

When Chanel sees her own house in flames, a scarred man watching with a young boy at his side, and Ares holding a lighter that makes him look like the arsonist, she’s shaken to her core. Ares, however, realizes he’s not the only one with this ability, and suddenly their fates are tangled together.
Chanel keeps her terrifying vision secret, trying to use her charms to get closer to Ares in hopes of protecting her family. Meanwhile, Ares is fighting for his kidnapped little brother Luke, dragged into the dangerous world of underground fight clubs and ruthless men tied to Chanel’s family. Both Chanel and Ares are hiding agendas, circling each other with mistrust, but as they spend more time together the masks begin to slip.

Chanel discovers that Ares isn’t just a cold, brooding fighter—he’s protective, thoughtful, and far more tender than she imagined. And Ares learns Chanel isn’t the shallow, narcissistic girl she pretends to be; beneath the “It Girl” image, she’s sensitive, determined, and willing to risk everything for the people she loves. Together, they begin to ask: what if destiny isn’t set in stone? What if love is strong enough to rewrite the future?

💫 This was a fascinating romance with an addictive paranormal edge, brimming with sizzling chemistry between Chanel and Ares. Their banter, tension, and slow-burn trust made this story impossible to put down. I adored every moment, and I’m hoping Ann Liang keeps bringing us back to Airington—again and again.

🌟 Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the digital review copy of this amazing YA romance/fantasy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[౨ৎ]

yes i am waiting for 3 years for this bc a) ann liang b) possible Henry appearance & c) chanel's story!!

[manju ♡]

my girl chanel getting her own book as she should 🤧❤️‍🩹

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I officially have my favorite Ann Liang mmc. And my favorite couple. And my favorite world(okay that’s cheating, if you could see the sun was already my favorite world of hers).
The rating is actually 4.5 stars, it’s close to perfect.
In the introduction Liang says this book is a more mature work compared to if you could see the sun, and it sure felt like it. This is a plot that would work perfectly in an adult novel, but she made it work for ya. My only complaint(and I think that’s probably where the bad reviews are stemming from) is that it feels a little messy in some parts, but I think that was the vibe the author was going for.
Personally, I loved I could give you the moon a lot more than Ann Liang’s previous books since her debut. It reminded me why I like her as a writer. Her last two ones seriously made me consider not continuing following her releases but I’m really glad I read this one. Oh, and if she ever writes an adult novel I’ll be first in line because she would do great at it, I just know it. 
Anyway, I couldn't recommend it enough, even if you are not usually a fan of the author, this one was very different from her previous works. 

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

[Avery]

edit 6/10: ITS CONFIRMED THAT THIS FOLLOWS CHANEL I LOVED HER SM

OMG? 2026?? IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN SPIN-OFF??

[emelie &#x1d717;&#x1d71a;⋆₊˚]

OH MY!! COVER REVEAL (ignore how late i am) but wow give this cover an award because wow.

currently counting down the days until this master piece will be released!! 👀 (2026 has never been so far).

[skylar ₊˚⊹♡]

✦. ⊹ ˚ 6.04.25 : 🎱

AHH OMG COVER REVEAL, SYNOPSIS, AND RELEASE DATE??? WE WON. that cover is genuinely gorgeous as all ann liang covers are 🙂‍↕️ ann liang i love you so much and chanel has my heart <3 SO EXCITED 💌

[annie]

Anything new by Ann Liang is straight to tbr.

[hannah ೀ.ᐟ⭒ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so good omg and ares is officially my new favorite ann liang mmc 🤭💌

⟢ thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc!

[manas]

I GOT THE ARC???? HELLO!!!!



i’m getting impatient.

[joni ౨ৎ - [semi hiatus]]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
secured an arc of my fav author EVER and one of my top 5 antipacted reads of 2026?!! got the arc with a 20% ratio 💪 cannot wait to read chanel's story filled with tension and yearning men 🤭

sooo excited to read this with my bsf justine !!! adore u so much 💗🫂 can't wait to yap and scream about this together our second br!!!!

↪ started sept 5

[۶ৎ sarah سارة]

OH MY GOD THE COVER IM SO UNWELL

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡]

OMG OMG OMG OMG!! i got the arc of this book 🥹🩷 i can’t believe it, i’m so so so excited to read this book ✨ and who wouldn’t be?! just look at THE COVER of this book?

[emily ❤︎ (hiatus)]

I’m here because of Ann Liang supremacy 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

[Dawn Solaris]

♬ ᗩᑎTIᑕIᑭᗩTEᗪ .ᐟ

⭑𓂃 I could give you the CASH, the GOLD, ma BLOOD, ma SOUL ~

Just Give Me This Before January 1st wdym April 14th?! WTH NO! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) Or I’ll Go To Jail for being a bitch who vandalised on the wrong day

Also, my favorite French luxury brand and the god of war? Hell yeah! Ann Liang could write an essay on the economics of wage inequality and I would still be reading with glee, so trust that I’m pumped up for my darling Chanel’s story 𐙚

Is it the wrong book to ask for Julius Gong cameos? (≖⩊≖)

[anna ୨୧]

CHANEL’S BOOK 🚨🚨🚨

[ari [semi ia]]

NO WAY IN HELL I GOT THIS ARC
NOOOOO WAY OML

BUT I DID ACKKK

[fadheela ♡ (on a mental-health break)]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷 ... 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓮, 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓵.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Ann this is so CRUEL of you to tease us with 3 chps, HAND US THE BOOK ALREADY!!!!😩🙌🏻 ASDFGHJKL HOW AM I REALLY SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR A WHOLE YEAR TO MEET ARES YIN & CHANEL CAO?!😭😭😭 2026 is like 10 years away, I MIGHT DIE from waiting 🤧

[maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling, decadent, and entirely seductive, I Could Give You the Moon is the type of book that sinks its nails into your flesh and won’t let go. We follow Chanel Cao, the renowned socialite darling and Ares Yin, the enigmatic boxer across the bustling nightscape of Beijing, and their sweeping enemies AND lovers romance.

As a spin-off, the book is very much its own entity from its predecessor—darker and more beguiling, but still feels deeply nostalgic to the world of If You Could See the Sun. It truly is in every way If You Could See the Sun’s brazen older sister.

[jo ୨୧]

🌸🌷🍒☁️
pre-read
I AM FANGIRLING SO HARD OVER THE COVER REVEAL IT IS FRICKING GORGINA.
I NEED APRIL 2026 SO BAD OMG

[liv ౨ৎ]

she's such a queen

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Does he love you enough? Would he give you the moon, if you would ask for it? Or were you never enough for him? Never satisfying enough. Not pretty enough. Not famous enough. Not smart enough. Did you ever question yourself, if he would give you the moon, if you would ask for it?

Recommendation

If you experienced heartbreak first-hand then you will definitely bond with these characters. After all, the main theme of this book is about heartbreak and how it influences one's lifes and relationships.

If you were toyed with in the past, then I would advise to skip this one. One of the protagonists is toying with the other to reach their own goals. This could be triggering for some, making it possibly an unfitting read.

This book isn't really long and the drama around the themes of heartbreak and performing (putting on an act) instead of being authentic makes this read so compelling.

This time, the story is from the perspective of Alice Sun's best friend Chanel, meaning that while Alice and Henry are still part of the story they are more in the background. So, all fans of If You Could See the Sun: Don't hope to see them often. You will be disappointed.

Introduction

I Could Give You the Moon is a spin-off from If You Could See the Sun. It's directly set after the events of the first book, but one doesn't need to read both to understand them. It's a standalone spin-off.

The story is about heartbreak told from female perspectives. But it's not only about the ugly parts of love but also about embracing one's true self, not hidding behind a facade as well as learning to trust others and showing vulnerability.

Pacing

This book is about 300 pages long, which fits well for this story. The pacing never felt too slow or fast, it felt exactly right. Important moments received the length they needed to built connection to the reader and all the drama came as fast as it vanished. I did like the drama but I was also glad that it wasn't dragged and just stayed for as long as it was needed.

Writing Style

Ann Liang always had the talent to not only write emotional books but also make the reader feel emotions while reading it. Sometimes, not only the characters felt down but the reader too. For me personally, If You Could See the Sun was so emotional that it stayed in my head for days. Unfortunately I Could Give You the Moon wasn't able to connect to me that much, but I still see the potential of it since the writing style is the same, not changed. Most moments are spent for dialogues and the plot but there are also pages full of thoughts and just so full of emotions that it makes one stop and think about them.
Is heartbreak predictable?
Do we really miss the experience, not the person?
Should one avoid love altogether to spare oneself from heartbreak?

There are so many questions and for me they often float around in my head reading her books which makes it really thought-provoking. I believe that emotional books such as these need to be thought-provoking to actually reach the reader. It works, as long as one can resonate with the theme of the book.

Themes & Symbolism

Main themes
Even though it focuses the most about heartbreak it's also about true love. In addition, it's about (sharing a) fate and finding one's true self, not hidding behind a fake image. Not only were the romantic relationships toxic but the family dynamics of the two protagonists showed how great family pressure can be if one has a social media presence.

Symbolism
The moon is a recurring symbol for this book, not only expressing the willingness to do anything for love but also how unrealistic expectations will always crush relationships.

The perspective of a rich family
I liked the most how the reader once again, just like from Alice Sun's and Henry Li's perspective, was able to not dive into a life of someone rich who also has a family with great influence. From an outsider's view one might think they are all just arrogant, but there is much more to it. Seeing how kids from rich families struggle with not only their daily lives but also by forming real and meaningful relationships with others was really interesting and made me wonder if that also applies to real life.

Characters

Chanel Cao
She is a famous influencer, who struggles with her own identity as she play pretends since her childhood, not allowed to show or express her true feelings or thoughts.

I personally didn't like her at all. She felt overly fake even till the end which led me to kinda wish her a bad ending as I wasn't a fan of her actions and how she had some set rules (which were manipulation tactics in disguise) which she got from her mother. She was so insecure that it hurt seeing how precise she was to follow her plan.

Ares Yin
He's a fighter which added to the tension of this book. I preferred his backstory over Chanel's as it felt more like something not almost everyone would experience. His passive presence made him appear more mysterious which made him ultimately more interesting in the end than Chanel.

The romance
While it reads like an enemies to lovers romance sometimes, it's per se not one. It's rather characterised by misunderstandings. I think that it's actually more a sunshine x grumpy romance. And it was often times filled by fear and curiosity.

Outroduction

The author feels seen by writing and publishing books, the readers feel seen by the themes of these books. While I felt more seen by If You Could See the Sun than the spin-off I Could Give You the Moon, I still enjoyed this read. If You Could See the Sun was about school stress which resonated with me more than heartbreak.

I also reduced a star from my rating as it bothered me that one of the protagonist took advantage of the other, meaning they toyed with the other. While I do understand how it impacted the overall growth/development of both, I still disliked it.

Thanks a lot NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy of I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang.

StoryGraph review + content warnings

Started the book: 30. August 2025
Finished the book: 30. August 2025
Wrote the review: 30. August 2025