Here’s the thing: I LOVE how unapologetically Filipino this romcom is. Our two main characters come from different backgrounds and I adore how this book highlights that. It really shares a better look at how diverse Filipino people and our diaspora can be.

However. My major complaint? The romance. And that should not be the case in a romance book 🥲 Idk, the sudden hookup at the very start felt so forced, all in order to establish a connection? It just didn’t work for me. I think the character progression afterwards was well done, but I never reached a point where I fully believed in these two as a couple. As two individuals? Absolutely! 

Another thing that bothered me throughout was how Mon was the only person who consistently wore his mask. Like if you’re going to set your book in our current time-frame and acknowledge the need for COVID precautions, why is it only one person who seems to care? Literally the only time it’s mentioned  anyone else wears a mask is when Olivia visits the Philippines. So it’s obviously a performative gesture, because it’s never mentioned at any other time that she bothers to wear one.