I was expecting The Odds of Happily Ever After by Anj Miranda to be similar to the romance novels that populate my reading tracker. This expectation proved to be wrong by the time I was a few chapters into the book. You see, I was able to experience Luna’s situation during my college years. I dated someone like Gabe back in the day. They had the same job. They even had the same boundaries. But unlike Luna, I broke it off before I graduated because I wanted someone without the excess baggage of being in the classroom with me. I wanted someone who did not teach me for a living back in the day.
The book was admittedly painful to read at times because the conversations between Luna and Gabe felt all too real. I experienced those feelings. I felt those emotions. Reading them brought back memories which I have already banished into the darkest crevices of my brain. But as the book drew to a close, I realized that this book was the healing I needed after all these years. I felt that by reading about two characters ending up together in the most painless way was freeing and comforting.
I am already with someone else and yes, he went to college with me. He was a former classmate. I must say that seeing my past in The Odds of Happily Ever After made me realize that that situation did not work because I was meant to be with someone else. Besides, I am not Luna. I have my own story, and reading this fictional romance reminded me that my own life worked out for me in the best way possible.
I recommend The Odds of Happily Ever After to everyone in need of a slow romantic burn. The smart banter between the two protagonists will entertain you during your lunch and coffee breaks. Take this book with you during your free time, and stay for the texting evolution of Gabe. You might even be reminded of a few familiar scenes from your youth while reading this book.
The Odds of Happily Ever After will be released on the 22nd of October, 2024. It is written by Filipino author Anj Miranda.