Mina V. EsguerraRezensionen

In terms of plot and pace and prose, not really what I was looking for. However, it was interesting to read about modern-day Manila!

And how Rose wasn’t allowed to emigrate to the US with her parents and younger sisters; she’s since happily built her own life and her own business in the Philippines but her parents keep pressuring her to find a way to join them.

I also liked having a female protagonist in her 40s.

Overall, glad I read it. Worked fine as a standalone, although I could tell there were a few references that had to be to other books in the series, I didn't really feel like I was missing anything important with them. I normally like there to be more to a story than modern girl meets modern boy and normal modern things happen, but that's just my preference for fantasy asserting itself. :) Was still a fun little book.

So this is part melodrama, part political thriller, and part low-angst second chance romance.

Have I lost my senses? Probably. I'm not sure what this book is though, so I mean, not really.

Anyway, the beginning of the book is swoony. So is the middle. I'm still working out how I feel about it as a romance because it is a strange one indeed. IT's one of those team-up, do everything for one another types. And it's a bit swoony. But also, that bit lacks tension and some of the external tension felt weirdly on-the-nose in this particular moment so I wasn't thrilled with that. It's not the book's fault.

I really don't know how to rate it, so I'm not going to. It was easy to read, be invested in, get a little wrung out from and yet did not hit that spot right now. None of this makes sense. Perhaps the highest praise is "yes, definitely I recommend if you are interested, and I'll be reading more from the author"

Also, have you seen this cover? (less) [edit]

At this very moment, I know that I will break some girls' hearts because of my (it's ok) rating again. There are some of Mina Esguerra's works I like. It's just that I didn't enjoy this much; maybe because I could not relate on the characters that are beautiful, successful, liberated, meanI could be mean but it'll be another story, and those who have gone through past relationships because I'm quite the opposite. Though, it's good to see other people's perspectives.

Kimmy has a very big EGO, that's what makes her character interesting, but for some reason I prefer her appearance in [b:My Imaginary Ex|6692512|My Imaginary Ex|Mina V. Esguerra|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1249886699s/6692512.jpg|6887988]; I like more of her sauciness in there haha.

In this story, it shows that mean girls also have soft spots and vulnerabilities.

And now that I read this, I think Zack from [b:My Imaginary Ex|6692512|My Imaginary Ex|Mina V. Esguerra|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1249886699s/6692512.jpg|6887988] wasn't really that true with his feelings. lol.

Manang literally means old woman but another meaning would be a woman who is old fashioned with mostly unperturbed customs, morals and such. Julie is an example of the second meaning of manang. And she didn't mind about it until she started dating Anton who is a former bad guy type. She is unexperienced with love and doubts that their relationship will get further as they belong in totally different circles.

The story is light, the plot is simple & the first point of view is used. Her Filipino setting is highly commendable.
In the story, readers can see the Filipino traditions like simbang gabi, courting at home, family oriented, etc. However, it was contradicted a little by the act of pre-marital sex which shows the modern side. And even though it's a typical love story, it was not one of those pedantic, annoying and stretching but it was a cute one. It can be noticed that the characters grow as the story progresses.

I think I watched too much friends tv show. I remember episodes like some scenes in this book.

Certainty is sexy - I agree with this.
There would be nothing more impressive than someone who will actually tell you that he/she likes you without any hesitations or doubts.

This should be read together with Interim Goddess of Love series or else you will feel like an outsider of some clique. I like the illustration of Raine Sarmiento.

1 1/2 stars rounded up. Novella (not a full book). Can read the ebook directly at Goodreads. Synopsis/blurb is wrong. Lemme summarize the real story since it's not a sympathetic character getting dumped before the altar. I did not at all like this due to plotline and characters (although to be honest characters pretty cardboard) but not badly written and the "feel" of the setting came across well.

Meangirl/Countryclub-princess has frenemy relationships with her gal pals and an on/off thing with her first love. Gets engaged to cardboard perfect co-worker; then the virginal bride-to-be loses it to first love; then coworker dumps her for another reason (she of course innocent victim since coworker did not find out about the one-nighter). Ashamed to face her queenly circle she takes off for a year and does the couch kid thing with various people (I'm okay with the taking off to regroup and not have to face painful encounters with exes) -- not really detailed in novella which is basically a back-then and skip to current times thing.

Back home a week before frenemy Cesca's wedding as her maid of honor (required since Kim had made Cesca hers at the canceled wedding). Throughout novella, it's established she and Cesca basically only nice to those they can use and only for as long as potentially useful -- and yet book dwells on her endless whines about how no one likes her, she always gets taken the wrong way, co-workers and others don't understand how schmoozing really gets you ahead faster than anything else so they should not be jealous (a work crisis to prove her point of course because this character is always right and always mistreated with everyone but herself to be blamed) and if she had nothing to do with you until you are potentially useful (for example, if you become her boss) you are not supposed to notice but just happily play along.

First love a particularly cringe-worthy storyline with them together, then not (sometimes from a fight sometimes just from him picking up and moving on), then he's with someone else, then not, then together. Twenty-seven year old she and her Mom depend on the divorced dad to keep them in lifestyle to which they are accustomed including country club memberships. Daddy no longer so generous with Mom and Her. Mom sells off some extra cars and stuff and then gets help from first love and his Mom. In main character's year off, she ignored calls and emails so did not know and did not get his "I Love You" email. *poof* all forgiven and this here-gone first love now the love of her life again..

Whew! Think this review just re-wrote the novella for you without some of the snobbery so maybe you can skip the read.

A just so-so book. Review later.