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My, oh my. What a ride.
At its heart, Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club is a found family story. Not a love story. And it's one worth reading.
Final impressions to follow. But final verdict? Recommended!
At its heart, Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club is a found family story. Not a love story. And it's one worth reading.
Final impressions to follow. But final verdict? Recommended!
If I were solely rating Anton Santillan, I'd probably give him all the stars (and then some). That man sounds like a bad idea, but I'm down to make a bad decision.
Final impressions:
• First, before anything else, I want to commend Carla de Guzman for choosing violence. She really cracked her author knuckles and went, "Listen, we all make fun of Ateneans - but at the end of the day, we still want to get underneath them." (Kidding.)
• I delved into this novel with the expectation of finding an endearing, hopeful love story between childhood friends. But amidst the holiday warmth and merriment, there was a lingering undercurrent of melancholy and yearning that tugged at my heartstrings. With Santi torn between prioritizing his happiness and conforming to his family's ideals, reading A Match Made in Lipa felt very heavy and even triggering at times.
• Speaking of, Santi is truly the shining star of this book. Estranged from the Villa side of his family while constantly taken for granted by the Santillan side, behind that Uniqlo polo lies a hurting heart that just wants to love and be loved properly in return. (I'm a simp for him, your honor.)
• In contrast, I looked at Kira in the same way that you'd look at a pesky housefly. Not quite as annoying as a mosquito, but would still prefer its absence.
- While I liked her in the beginning, I struggled to connect with her as the story progressed. Which had initially baffled me because she's very much a confused, still-figuring-life-out millennial (and so am I).
- But I think the roadblock lies in her exceedingly privileged lifestyle and circumstances.
• I also can't help but feel that the writing in Sweet On You was much stronger in comparison. While I still really enjoyed the story, I occasionally struggled with the writing style due to the following reasons:
- A Match Made in Lipa often came across as, for lack of better adjectives, aggressively upper-class millennial. This was notably more evident in Kira's POV.
- Some attempts at humor did not land very well, while some jokes were overly repetitive.
• For a contemporary romance novel, I was genuinely more invested in Santi's character arc (and his struggles with his toxic family) than in the romantic development between him and Kira.
- My initial kilig died down once I concluded that I wouldn't be getting some nice 'will they, won't they' tension between childhood friends.
- Instead, Santi and Kira quickly established their mutual attraction and were essentially together without labels, so it felt like their relationship plateaued too early on. Moreover, while I recognize that malabo relationships are a common happenstance in real life, it wasn't particularly compelling to read about.
• On a more praising note, I appreciated how this book delved into the toxicities of some Filipino families and the additional burdens placed on panganay (eldest) children. I also really liked the emphasis on different forms of love, be it between partners, among friends, or within families - and how sometimes people just can't love us in the way that we need them to.
• Criticisms aside, I still think that this book has much to offer and is worth picking up. More than a romance, A Match Made in Lipa is an incredibly evocative story about growth and the difficult choices to be made in order to grow into the person you want to become.
Recommended!
* I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book from its publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all mine.
[ Content/Trigger warnings: ]
Final impressions:
• First, before anything else, I want to commend Carla de Guzman for choosing violence. She really cracked her author knuckles and went, "Listen, we all make fun of Ateneans - but at the end of the day, we still want to get underneath them." (Kidding.)
• I delved into this novel with the expectation of finding an endearing, hopeful love story between childhood friends. But amidst the holiday warmth and merriment, there was a lingering undercurrent of melancholy and yearning that tugged at my heartstrings. With Santi torn between prioritizing his happiness and conforming to his family's ideals, reading A Match Made in Lipa felt very heavy and even triggering at times.
• Speaking of, Santi is truly the shining star of this book. Estranged from the Villa side of his family while constantly taken for granted by the Santillan side, behind that Uniqlo polo lies a hurting heart that just wants to love and be loved properly in return. (I'm a simp for him, your honor.)
• In contrast, I looked at Kira in the same way that you'd look at a pesky housefly. Not quite as annoying as a mosquito, but would still prefer its absence.
- While I liked her in the beginning, I struggled to connect with her as the story progressed. Which had initially baffled me because she's very much a confused, still-figuring-life-out millennial (and so am I).
- But I think the roadblock lies in her exceedingly privileged lifestyle and circumstances.
Spoiler
Should I ever be unceremoniously fired from a corporate job (knock on wood), my family can't afford to soften the blow by gifting me a whole ass property to manage. At the end of the day, Kira is a wealthy, educated woman running a quirky business that's generously funded by her family's massive pockets.• I also can't help but feel that the writing in Sweet On You was much stronger in comparison. While I still really enjoyed the story, I occasionally struggled with the writing style due to the following reasons:
- A Match Made in Lipa often came across as, for lack of better adjectives, aggressively upper-class millennial. This was notably more evident in Kira's POV.
- Some attempts at humor did not land very well, while some jokes were overly repetitive.
• For a contemporary romance novel, I was genuinely more invested in Santi's character arc (and his struggles with his toxic family) than in the romantic development between him and Kira.
- My initial kilig died down once I concluded that I wouldn't be getting some nice 'will they, won't they' tension between childhood friends.
- Instead, Santi and Kira quickly established their mutual attraction and were essentially together without labels, so it felt like their relationship plateaued too early on. Moreover, while I recognize that malabo relationships are a common happenstance in real life, it wasn't particularly compelling to read about.
• On a more praising note, I appreciated how this book delved into the toxicities of some Filipino families and the additional burdens placed on panganay (eldest) children. I also really liked the emphasis on different forms of love, be it between partners, among friends, or within families - and how sometimes people just can't love us in the way that we need them to.
• Criticisms aside, I still think that this book has much to offer and is worth picking up. More than a romance, A Match Made in Lipa is an incredibly evocative story about growth and the difficult choices to be made in order to grow into the person you want to become.
Recommended!
* I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book from its publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all mine.
[ Content/Trigger warnings:
Spoiler
Toxic/Dysfunctional family (with financial manipulation, emotional blackmail, estrangement, parental neglect); epilogue set in COVID-19 pandemic; sex (graphic)
When it was revealed that Simon was lovingly dubbed as the "pussy whisperer", I knew that I was in for a fun time. And true enough, I couldn't put this book down - for better or for worse.
A few notes, though:
• For the viewers at home, divorce is not legal in the Philippines. It is literally the only country in the world (aside from the Vatican) where divorce is prohibited. Couples can either pursue legal separation or get their marriage annulled.
• Sarah Smith and her team need to improve their marketing skills because The Close-Up is not friends to lovers; it's coworkers to lovers. And that's a totally different thing.
• For a storyline that hinges on "Alas, we cannot be together because we need to stay professional" ad nauseum, there are a number of questionable scenes and decisions made in this book, such as Very early on in the book, I wish that these horny adults just went and banged their brains out because the pretense was very exhausting, especially when they unapologetically crossed lines again and again.
Overall, The Close-Up is so embarrassingly unhinged, ridiculous, and brazenly horny. It's very clearly a self-insert type of story, and I didn't mind it at all.
A few notes, though:
• For the viewers at home, divorce is not legal in the Philippines. It is literally the only country in the world (aside from the Vatican) where divorce is prohibited. Couples can either pursue legal separation or get their marriage annulled.
Spoiler
In the book, it's eventually revealed that Naomi's tita (who's visiting from the Philippines) is getting a divorce from her husband, which would be impossible to do if they were married in the Philippines.• Sarah Smith and her team need to improve their marketing skills because The Close-Up is not friends to lovers; it's coworkers to lovers. And that's a totally different thing.
• For a storyline that hinges on "Alas, we cannot be together because we need to stay professional" ad nauseum, there are a number of questionable scenes and decisions made in this book, such as
Spoiler
Simon accidentally walking in on Naomi masturbating in a bathtub.Overall, The Close-Up is so embarrassingly unhinged, ridiculous, and brazenly horny. It's very clearly a self-insert type of story, and I didn't mind it at all.
As a Filipino, reading this book on the same year that the late dictator's son clawed his way back into Malacañang Palace - is utterly wild.
When I initially added Bibliolepsy to my Wikathon 2022 TBR list, I was expecting the story to follow a young activist who also happens to be a horny romance reader. I was not anticipating Primi to obsess over books to the point of hooking up with all writers, authors, and even booksellers within proximity (before Tinder and Bumble were invented!) - all the while willfully distancing herself from political unrest and brewing revolution. And I certainly was not prepared for Apostol to deliver hauntingly evocative prose and thought-provoking commentary on Martial Law from the perspective of an indifferent observer.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook (available on Scribd), my hands are itching to annotate its paperback edition and reread it until the spine feels as broken as I do right now.
I have many, many Thoughts - all of them jumbled, incoherent, and overwhelmed. But I will say that the girls that get it, get it. (Full thoughts to follow. Someday.)
Highest of recommendations!
When I initially added Bibliolepsy to my Wikathon 2022 TBR list, I was expecting the story to follow a young activist who also happens to be a horny romance reader. I was not anticipating Primi to obsess over books to the point of hooking up with all writers, authors, and even booksellers within proximity (before Tinder and Bumble were invented!) - all the while willfully distancing herself from political unrest and brewing revolution. And I certainly was not prepared for Apostol to deliver hauntingly evocative prose and thought-provoking commentary on Martial Law from the perspective of an indifferent observer.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook (available on Scribd), my hands are itching to annotate its paperback edition and reread it until the spine feels as broken as I do right now.
I have many, many Thoughts - all of them jumbled, incoherent, and overwhelmed. But I will say that the girls that get it, get it. (Full thoughts to follow. Someday.)
Highest of recommendations!
Unconventional. If I were to sum up this quick, raunchy novella in one word, I’d call it unconventional.
• MMF threesome mixed with some exhibitionism (explicit)
• Friends to lovers (where one friend has been repressing her pining for almost a decade)
• Wild dares and even wilder truths
• Not a full-length love story, but rather a snapshot into two lifelong friends navigating uncharted territory and confronting their romantic feelings in the process.
Do not read if you want to see characters falling in love on page. But do read if you’re in the mood for something short, angsty, and steamy.
Recommended!
• MMF threesome mixed with some exhibitionism (explicit)
• Friends to lovers (where one friend has been repressing her pining for almost a decade)
• Wild dares and even wilder truths
• Not a full-length love story, but rather a snapshot into two lifelong friends navigating uncharted territory and confronting their romantic feelings in the process.
Do not read if you want to see characters falling in love on page. But do read if you’re in the mood for something short, angsty, and steamy.
Recommended!
Chupeco's first foray into adult fantasy took a while to win me over (mainly because I'm not an avid reader of books with regency-era settings). But once it did win me over, I was an absolute goner.
• A refreshing take on vampiric lore? Yes.
• Wonderfully cinematic atmosphere? Yes.
• Distinct narrative voice and cutting dialogue? Yes.
• Fascinating weapons and compelling action? Plentiful.
• Murder mystery turned sweeping conspiracy? Absolutely.
• Tension? On every page.
Maybe it's the Filipino in me, but I saw notable parallels between Remy's (arguably unwise) loyalty to the kingdom of Aluria and my personal relationship with my country, especially amidst disinformative media and corrupt, morally bankrupt officials. In this essay, I will --
Highly recommended!
* I received a print ARC of Silver Under Nightfall from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
• A refreshing take on vampiric lore? Yes.
• Wonderfully cinematic atmosphere? Yes.
• Distinct narrative voice and cutting dialogue? Yes.
• Fascinating weapons and compelling action? Plentiful.
• Murder mystery turned sweeping conspiracy? Absolutely.
• Tension? On every page.
Maybe it's the Filipino in me, but I saw notable parallels between Remy's (arguably unwise) loyalty to the kingdom of Aluria and my personal relationship with my country, especially amidst disinformative media and corrupt, morally bankrupt officials. In this essay, I will --
Highly recommended!
* I received a print ARC of Silver Under Nightfall from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
New favorite. I need everyone to read this book asap.
Full thoughts to follow.
Full thoughts to follow.
Stunned and speechless. I'll be thinking of this memoir for the rest of my life.
Highest of recommendations.
Highest of recommendations.
This was a little unhinged and wild and chaotic - and I absolutely had a great time! What a ride. (And kudos to the audiobook narrator for bringing this story to life.
Final verdict? Recommended!
Final verdict? Recommended!