Your Place Next Year Book Review

Mina V. Esguerra has released another modern romance story that satisfies the pandemic-fatigued reader. Your Place Next Year is a romance novelette that is set in a not so distant future where the world is slowly easing its way into a more “normal” status quo. The book features protagonists who are both in their early forties and are well-established in their careers.

Alia is a female country director who spends one week a year at sunny La Union. She does so to escape the demands of work and city life. She is annually involved with Leandro, an equally successful education tech CEO who chose the surfing destination as his permanent address. When a post-lockdown work encounter in Manila forces Alia and Leandro to face each other outside of their beach trysts, they are led to explore the idea of something beyond their annual hookups.

I enjoyed reading this novelette because of the smart banter between Alia and Leandro. Both of them have their own careers and have made bold lifestyle choices. I could relate to Alia because she bought a townhouse in Antipolo. While I may not live on a mountain at suburbia, I still consider my Quezon City townhouse to be strategically distant from the business districts that I used to work at. The pandemic has forced me to move my freelance career at home, and Alia’s working style of separating “laptop work” from “smartphone work” is something that I also practice. I am also the type who asks hard questions to the men I date, so just like Alia, I expect nothing less from the man I am seeing.

I appreciate how Leandro always asks for Alia’s consent before going further. I like how he shows sensitivity when faced with the possibility of losing Alia. I also like how in the duration of the story, both characters have developed from hookup lovers to a committed couple. The value of compromise is highlighted here. it is especially relevant today. Many people have moved back to the province or away from the city to have better mental health. Relationships will surely take a more dynamic turn once we move to a more “normal” way of life, and it is important for couples to know that compromise is key to making everything work,

I recommend this book for people my age (I am thirty-five) and older! It is refreshing to read a story about people who are done with “adulting” and are transitioning to a more comfortable way of advance careers and lifestyle choices. Your Place Next Year is the novelette that romance readers need this year and in a post-pandemic 2022.

To pre-order your copy, please refer to the following links:

Amazon http://bit.ly/yourplacenextyear

Gumroad http://gum.co/yourplacenextyear

You may also visit Mina’s website to know more about her work as an author and romance writing trainer. She is one of today’s leading writing and publishing teachers, so check out her website today!

Touring Home with Naya

We are still under enhanced community quarantine at Luzon, as the Covid-19 virus is still upon us. I am used to being out everyday, so being at home is a huge adjustment for me. I made the most of my stay so far by listening to music, crocheting, and diving straight into my unread book stash.

Mina V. Esguerra’s novel What Kind of Day satisfied my craving for a sexy yet substantial read. I read it on a lazy Sunday, with club music streaming in the background. I have been a fan of Mina’s writing since her Summit Books days. I even took one of her writing classes at the Ayala Museum a few years back. Her books may be in the romance department, but she always ensures that her female leads are strong, independent characters. I was not disappointed with this one as this theme still applies.

Naya is a tour guide who runs her own company See This Manila, while Ben is a political speechwriter who is facing challenges in his career. Both meet when Ben joins her tour by chance and discovers the city with brand new eyes. Naya is passionate about getting people to see the city differently and with a fresh perspective. This sounds like the perfect one-day getaway for a man who has been jaded with the perils of his job.

I especially liked how Naya discussed her academic background in media and film. She said that she focused on them because she was interested in “studying platforms…and studying how to use an evolving thing”. Meanwhile, Ben defines his speechwriting job as to “learn history, and write history”. These parallel contexts are ever-changing, which is interesting when juxtaposed with both characters’ perspective on failure.

Naya in particular was disenchanted with her previous job as a tourism vlogger, and has viewed failure as a journey which she creates for her tour guests in the form of unexpected itineraries. That way, her personal failure has evolved into a transformative experience for her guests.

Meanwhile, Ben has a more limited lens on failure as he has been a lawyer and successful political speechwriter for most of his career. His encounter with Naya turns out to be an influential journey to inspire him to use this time to regroup after visiting parts of the city which may seem familiar, yet offer more details than what is usually known about them.

It is interesting how Ben sees Naya’s touring business as a platform for change: “you give people a day like that. You give them a good day”. For Naya, she sees how Ben is more than just a fleeting guest, and realizes her own capacity for love and relationships. Both learn that relationships are about compromise, and that a beautiful sunset does not only happen by the Manila Bay.

This book is a gem because I found myself processing my own failures, and how I could also move on from this quarantine period once it is over. I am not in a relationship now, but I want to be the best person for my future date after the lockdown. While I am at home, I will find ways to build myself through books, music, and sharing my day on social media. It would not hurt to interact more with others, especially since I am used to being alone most of the time. Like Naya, I will also evolve and give relationships a chance after the virus dies down.

To order this book, please click here.

At Home With Kali

I just finished reading Keeping Miss Kalila by Filipino romance novelist Tara Frejas. I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the author herself, and I am so thankful that I signed up to be one of her advanced readers. Luzon is currently on enhanced community quarantine due to the Covid-19 virus, so I am experiencing cabin fever.

This book helped pass the time in a very good way!

Here’s the synopsis from the author:

Keeping Miss Kalila
Release date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020

With a job that she loves, an adorable senior dog, and a baby she fought hard to conceive on the way, life is going well for thirty-one-year old school teacher Kalila Rayos. That is, until her ex-boyfriend and first love, filmmaker Datu Alvez asks if they could try again.
 
Saying yes shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, she’s still also in love with him and Datu’s efforts to be there for her make her feel she truly has it all. But on top of her worries as a soon-to-be mom, a crisis that hits her school forces her to shift her priorities away from her own desires.
 
Will the one who got away be strong enough to stay, or will their second chance at love crumble and break her heart once more?

Content Warning: miscarriage (backstory), casual sexism, and verbal and physical abuse from a parent. This book follows #romanceclass guidelines requiring HEA/HFN for romance,
and is Heat Level 3 (at least one “open door” sex scene).

I liked this book because:

• The protagonist, Kalila is an empowered woman who decides for herself. She is also a teacher in a consumeristic age, which shows heart and passion for a vocation.

• The romantic interest, Datu, is actually a kind person. He does not undermine Kalila’s interests and priorities, and chooses to support her. He is also established in his own career as a filmmaker, which brings an interesting mix to their love story.

• The novel included amazing causes like early childhood education for the needy, aspin adoption, and women empowerment.

• The supporting characters are also interesting with their own careers and witty remarks.

In these trying times, we need more books to uplift and inspire. You don’t need to pick up a self-help book to feel better. Why don’t you pre-order this novel and discover fiction that drives you to be a better person along the way? Who knows, this might also be the door to meeting people and seizing better opportunities.

To pre-order this book, please click here.

Cover sent by Tara Frejas

Flipping the Script Book Review

I love supporting local authors, especially those who are just starting out. One of the ways that I do so is by reviewing advanced reader’s copies (ARCs) of new novels and novellas in the #romanceclass community. The said community is a growing family of Filipino authors, both seasoned and newbies, who mostly write romance novels. They also write beyond that genre, so it’s inspiring to see the group diversify and grow through the years. Founded by bestselling Filipino author Mina V. Esguerra, the community fosters partnership and engagement between its members, and reviewing new works is a fun family tradition.

I was thrilled to be one of the first to read the ARC for Flipping the Script, a novella by newcomer Danice Mae P. Sison. It follows the story of Miri Dela Merced, a seventeen-year-old high school student who interns at a film studio that is owned by her family’s rival, Santelmo Pictures. Her Lolo Ikong used to be the studio’s prolific director, until its matriarch, Barang Santelmo, had a huge falling-out with him. Decades later, Santelmo’s heir Pabs Paglinauan meets Miri in the said internship program. Sparks fly between the two, and in between the mundane tasks of film production (sticking masking tape! coffee runs! all-night film editing!), the two get to know each other beyond their families’ rivalry. 

I truly enjoyed this novella because it was more than just a predictable teenage love story. There was a strong cast of support characters, and I liked Tetet most because she complemented Miri’s tomboy style and sensibilities. I also appreciated the pop culture references to 90’s Pinoy movies that I grew up with.

The story was believable in the sense that the author did not try hard to draw us into the story. With her witty writing style that includes chat groups, recommended 80’s flicks, film studio descriptions, and light banter, I felt seventeen again and totally transported into the world of campus life and filmmaking.

I wish that the novel was a bit longer, but I felt that the story was already a complete one. I just couldn’t get enough of Miri and Pabs, and it would be nice if this could have a sequel. All in all, I would give it five stars. I strongly recommend this novella! 

Flipping the Script will be out on February 2019. According to romanceclass, it will be released “worldwide, in digital and print formats, via Amazon, The Ripped Bodice, The Book Depository, and other retailers.”

For more Filipino novels, novellas, and awesome resources for authors and readers, visit  http://romanceclassbooks.com/. You may also follow Mina V. Esguerra and Danice Mae P. Sison online.