My Sweet Serenity by Mariane Reign

"I only looked at you once and I never looked away. It took me one blink to know you're beautiful. Two to know I love you. And three to make me want to marry you."

Corinne Yelis swore she will never fall in love again. Not after she witnessed how her father hurt her mother and how the only man she loved fooled her for another girl. Para sa kanya, tapos na ang chapter na iyon sa buhay niya. Kumbinsido na siyang masaya siya at hindi niya kailangan ang isang lalaki para kompletuhin ang buhay niya. Pero mukhang hindi siya ang may hawak ng desisyon na iyon.

Tatlong taon pagkatapos ng breakup nila, bumalik sa buhay niya si Zhen Cylix Ereje. He was three times more handsome; three times sure he still loved her and three times more determined to get her back. Pero desidido siyang tanggihan lahat ng ka-sweet-an na ipinapakita nito. In fact, she refused to see him at all!

But destiny didn't share the same sentiments. Lagi sila nitong pinagtatagpo. Ano ang gagawin niya ngayong ang tadhana at si Zhen ay nagkaisa para muling mapaibig siya?

---o---

Would it be weird kung sasabihin kong may thing ako para sa mga ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend stories? Pakiramdam ko kasi mas challenging. In the sense na "okay, break na sila, how is this writer going to fan the flames?" Iba kasi kapag hindi pa magkakilala ang dalawang bida. Nandoon pa yung anticipation(ng reader) in its freshest sense, for the lack of better term. Kumbaga sa klase ng storya na mag-ex na ang mga bida eh mas maraming kailangang mapatunayan at maimpose ang writer. Nandiyan yung kailangan mong patunayang may galit, may tampo, may pagkamuhi ang character, and at the same time, you have got to break these walls para sindihang muli ang mitsa. Unlike the normal boy-meets-girl where everything is a first: kiss, look, embrace, fight, at marami pang iba. Halimbawa sa konteksto ng ex-lovers, pag hinalikan, you have to consider two things for the character. Una, why she hates it. Pangalawa, why she loves it enough to make her think twice about her feelings. Alam mo yun, each end of the opposite has to be the right amount to make it believable. I guess what I'm trying to say is Mariane Reign did it very well.

Napansin ko sa storya na to kung paano alagaan ng writer ang mga characters niya. Not entirely in the way how we, the readers, see the hero and heroine. Kundi sa mata mismo ng characters niya. Maybe it's just me and I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or what, pero sobrang nagustuhan ko kung paano ko nakilala si Corinne sa pamamagitan ng mga mata ni Zhen, sa pamamagitan ng pagkakakilala sa kanya ni Zhen. You know, the writer doesn't just put the information out there. Ginagamit niya ang mga mata ng hero at heroine para ipakilala sila sa atin. If I'm not mistaken, wala akong nabasang hayagang pagdedescribe ng physical na anyo ng mga characters yet I see them crystal clear in my head. I can picture them with the emotions on their faces very clearly in my head. I don't know how Mariane Reign does that or if she even realize she's doing it in the first place.

Truthfully, sa mga bagong writers, si Mariane Reign ang paborito ko. And she knows it. I'm not sure if she remembers me telling her, but she is. Technically, hindi siya bago sa PHR, pero pangwalong libro pa lamang niya to. I don't mean that in a bad way, in fact, I'm rather thankful. Ibig sabihin lang noon ay ginugugulan niya talaga ng oras ang pagsusulat, at alam kong busy siya. Hehe. But the long wait pays off. It does, really. Sinubaybayan ko ang paglaki niya sa PHR(anak lang? lol), and take it from someone who gambles a lot of time in observing things, sobrang nagmature si Mariane Reign pagdating sa pagsusulat. I don't know how to explain that, I guess you're gonna have to follow her "timeline". Meaning, read her books. I mean, with just 8 books you can already see leaps and bounds of progress, what more kung patuloy na magsulat si Mariane Reign?

Okay I feel like I'm drifting away from what I'm supposed to do here, but I know I should get everything out of my system. Kung hindi, parang ang useless lang din kung mismong content lang ang rereviewhin ko. Ayokong maging basis lang ang mga reviews ko kung babasahin mo ba ang isang nobela o hindi. Every opinion differs. I want to be of help in any possible way. So pardon me kung mapapahaba ang mga reviews.

So, back to Corinne and Zhen.

People may think na ang babaw ng rason ng breakup ng dalawang bida. Nakita lang ng heroine na may kahalikang iba ang hero, hiniwalayan na kaagad. Now, I'm not saying na mababaw ang dahilang yon. Because it's not. I'm a big believer of commitments and kisses, so I get where Corinne is coming from. Ikaw ba naman eh mawitness ang boyfriend mo na may kahalikang iba. And on your third anniversary, no less. Sabi nga sa One Tree Hill, a kiss always means something. Wala ka mang naramdamang feelings, at that moment, you are violating the Golden Rule of Commitment(imbento ko lang lol). May it be from impulse, or purely natukso. At the end of the day, it's still wrong. So everyone who thinks Corinne is immature for ending the relationship, stop. Konsepto lang yon ng tama o mali. It's not rocket science. Gotta use a little brain kapag nagmamahal para hindi laging talo.

I love the chase between the two. Hindi ko naramdamang estranghero sila sa isa't-isa after three years of breaking up. Kumbaga may tinge ng familiarity. I guess that's always the way it goes for two ex-lovers. And that is how a reader is able to sympathize with the lead characters sa ganitong klase ng premise. And it surprises the characters as well. May wow factor. That's how I was able to get to know them as individuals and as a couple prior the breakup.

Gusto ko si Zhen. Romantic, determinado, pero hindi yung aabot sa punto na ipagsisiksikan ang sarili(like, ehem, pushy alpha males). Hindi ko gusto yung medyo idinadaan niya sa biro kapag sasabihin niyang mahal niya pa si Corinne, pero I understand him. He makes it easy for Corinne kapag umaamin siya dahil nandoon pa rin yung guilt. He doesn't just bluntly say that he still carries a torch for Corinne, he dances around it. Nandoon yung nahihiya pa rin siya sa kasalanang nagawa niya. Dahil hindi nga naman "proper" na basta mo na lang sabihin sa ex mong mahal mo pa siya matapos nitong mawitness na may kahalikan kang iba three years ago. Sobrang gets ko yung koneksyon nila ni Corinne. At gusto ko din ang relationship niya with Ate Penelope. Super open nila.

Corinne is a surprise. Brave but scared. Playsafer(imbentong word lol) but also a gambler. Composed, except not really. Again, I don't know how Mariane Reign does that. I guess kapangyarihan iyon ng isang knowledgeable sa psychology, which the writer is. I knew there was something off with Corinne's father, I just didn't think it was that big. Ang galing dahil na-pull off iyon ng writer. Corinne's actions are very well backboned. And I wouldn't blame her for beating the living shit out of Zhen nang malaman niyang may anak na pala ito. Which, spoiler, isn't true. Hehe.

Like what I always say, walang perpektong storya. Gladly, sa kaso ng My Sweet Serenity, it's not the lead characters I have a problem with. Si Alice. Who in their right mind would say something like that? Yun lang. Hindi ko lang nagustuhan kung paano naintroduce ang pagsisinungaling niya. I mean, it's easy to find out the truth, so why do it? I guess this is where the writer shies away from giving it all out. Medyo ayaw pa niyang ilubog nang tuluyan ang paa niya sa tubig sa labas ng zone niya. I mean if you're gonna drop something big, drop it all. Hindi lang pahapyaw. Never hold back. Especially when concluding and tying loose ends. This would have been perfect kung naelaborate pa ang kabaliwan ni Alice.

Nevertheless, nagustuhan ko talaga ang librong ito. If you're going to invest on new writers, go for Mariane Reign. Sagot kita. ;)

Dagdag ko lang, I love how Mariane Reign gets really invested into her characters. Nagcompose siya ng kanta para sa storyang to, and you can find it here: http://someonelikeruth.blogspot.com/2013/08/sweet-serenity-chords-lyrics.html. And I like how she takes care of not just the leads' relationship, but also their relationship with the supporting characters. Classic Mariane Reign. :)

Rating: 4.5/5

My Fiancé's Brother & Exclusively Yours by Jade Anne Franco

Celine knows that it wasn't love that brought her and Miguel together, but she is still thankful. Hindi lahat ng marriage for convenience ay ganito kadali. Napakadaling pakisamahan ng binata, napakatalino at napakaguwapo.

Pero nang isinama siya ng fiancé sa hometown nito at nakilala niya ang kapatid nitong si Lander, parang nag-iba na ang lahat. Kada makikita niya ang binatang ranchero, tila ba may ginigising itong kung anong emosyon sa dibdib niya - something wild and primitive.

And it is immensely wrong to let herself get affected like this by her fiancé's brother.

---o---

Sa PHR, bihira akong makabasa ng nobelang may intimate scenes. Maybe I just buy the wrong authors kaya wala akong na-eencounter na love scenes. Plus I think isa ang love scenes sa mga eksenang mahirap paikutan ng storya, so I guess mas madalas na love scene-less ang karamihan ng romance novels. Minsan, dahil corrupted ang utak ko (hahaha), tipo kong magbasa ng tekstong may love scenes, I usually observe, if not study, how these writers execute the physical union of their hero and heroines. So para makasiguro (hehe) akong may love scenes talaga ang babasahin kong libro, binili ko itong My Fiancé's Brother under MSV's The Man I Desire imprint.

So I'm not really sure how to do a 'review' about these kinds of novel, but I'm gonna try. Maybe I'll try making sense of how the guy and the girl fell in love rooting from the sex or their lust or whatever. Hindi ko alam kung talaga bang nakadodoble ng attraction or infatuation sa isang tao ang pakikipag-fornicate (lol) dito. Because surely, Jade Anne Franco's  Lander and Celine fell in love too soon. And I don't (necessarily) mean that negatively. Maybe it's the sex. Haha.

Wala na akong kaso sa "infidelity" issues dito, because it was clearly established by the author that Celine and Miguel were just getting married for the sake of business expansion. So okay na yun. And even the encounters between Celine and Miguel weren't too sparkly, so I didn't even have a tinge of empathy towards them as a couple. Very well played, Miss Writer.

It's such a wonder (both question and astonishment) how two people (and this goes out to almost all protagonists on romance novels) share a look and then bam, at the back of their minds they know there exists an understanding between them, and it just validates the irrationality of their next actions. Gustung-gusto ko yan sa mga romance novels natin. Ayun ang nangyari kina Lander at Celine. I liked how Lander was so confident about that understanding kaya nagsalo sila sa isang intimate moment nang maaksidente si Celine sa may burol.

And my goodness, that touching-of-the-moistness (hahaha, author's words) scene at the hidden waterfalls was supreme (I was gonna say divine, but divine is such a clean word for a dirty act haha).

Siguro yung mga nobelang may love scenes ay kailangang mas maging mahaba. I mean, honestly, nabitin ako dito dahil maiksi lang. Medyo hindi nabuild-up nang husto (sa ganitong kaso na maiksi ang teksto) ang hero at heroine, but I don't know, sabi ko nga, baka naaattach talaga ang dalawang tao sa isa't-isa kapag may nangyari sa kanila. That's the only thing I could think of kung paano sila kabilis nangyari.

At bilang corrupted nga ang utak ko, dumako tayo sa love scenes (bilang The Man I Desire din ito, hehe). I don't know the exact words to explain how the love scenes were written, but they were not explicit. It's explicit but it's not. Let me put it this way, ikumpara ninyo ang love scenes ng isang regular na romance novel at ang love scenes ng isang erotic novel. You'd know the difference. Semi-explicit na term siguro, pwede pa. The love scenes were also not euphemized. Kumbaga may pagka-graphic pero hindi nakakabastos basahin. Medyo may pagka-wild at pagka-cheesy rin, pero ang purpose ng pagka-cheesy niya is to lessen awkwardness and to romanticize the act albeit being erotic as a goal. Ang hindi ko lang masyado nagustuhan ay medyo parehong mga salita ang ginamit ng writer sa paglalarawan ng love scenes dito at sa love scenes ng sequel. Pero minimal na lang yun.

Ayoko nang i-spoil yung tunay na sex scene dito, basahin niyo na lang para mas mag-enjoy kayo. Haha. Logical naman ang ending: Lander went away, Miguel called the wedding off, Lander and Celine reunited, and Miguel's biggest news(sorry for the lack of better term haha) happened.

Rating: 3.25/5

---o---

"Sinadya mo ba iyon? Were you there to seduce me?" matalim na tanong ni Miguel sa kanya.

"You're the one who seduced me, how dare you!" asik niya.

"Does it really matter who did what?" mabilis nitong pakli. "Hindi sa nagmamalinis ako, Aleia, pero ano'ng inaasahan mo sa isang taong lasing at may naabutang halos hubad na babae sa kuwarto niya?"

Ginusto ni Aleia ng isang gabing kapiling si miguel, hindi mahalaga kung makilala man siya nito o hindi. Now that she got what she wished for, bakit hindi rin siya masaya?

Tawag lamang ng laman para sa binata ang ginawa niyang pagpapadama ng pagmamahal na kay tagal niyang kinimkim. Dapat inasahan na niya iyon...

---o---

Now, this is the fun part. Sobrang laki lang ng "screen time" ni Aya sa My Fiancé's Brother, so I had a hunch na this is gonna be something. I liked Aya on the first book. Nagustuhan ko rin yung scene na sinisigawan siya ni Lander dahil sa kiss marks niya. I knew something was going on, for sure may separate story itong si Aya. And I was right. Hindi ko alam na may sequel ang My Fiancé's Brother. Bihira lang din akong magbasa ng MSV novels. Ang galing magtago ng writer ng understanding between Aleia and Miguel. I didn't have an idea until the last few chapters. Akala ko iiwan na lang basta ng author si Miguel eh, buti na lang may sequel. Hehe. Nung nalaman kong may sequel si Lander, kinabukasan, sumugod agad ako sa bookstore dahil na-excite ako kina Aya at Miguel.

I like this novel better. Way better. Sa first book pa lang, may simpatya na ako kina Aya at Miguel as individuals. And super yay for the age gap dahil mas exciting ang love scenes. Haha! Kaya ko rin mas nagustuhan ito dahil mas solid ang relasyon ng dalawang bida. May past affiliation sina Miguel at Aleia, and then na-magnify (or better yet, nag-mutate) iyon sa present. Kumbaga hindi ka na magtataka kung bakit may admiration na si Miguel kay Aleia. May element of surprise (which ignited the desire) bilang dati, parang kapatid lang niya si Aleia, pero sa present, for the first time, Miguel sees the woman in Aleia.

Amusing din kung paano magdescribe ng isang babae ang isang lalaki. Sobrang natuwa ako kung paano inilarawan ni Miguel si Aleia nang makita niya ito after seven years. Maingat pero may pagka-manyak. And everything was a factor. Their age gap, their affiliation. Lahat. Kaya may thrill eh. Kaya mas nagustuhan ko rin ito. As for Aleia's feelings for Miguel... no question. Mahirap kalimutan ang first love.

Sobra ko ring nagustuhan ang first love scene nila. Tulad nga ng nasabi ko, maingat mag-describe ang author (siguro dahil na rin kailangang tumatak sa readers na Aleia is 10 years his junior), naingatan niya ang pagiging sagrado ng first time ni Aya, and more importantly, losing it to the man she had loved forever. Nagustuhan ko rin ang pagiging dominante ni Miguel. His character, compared to Lander, wasn't said to be very "ranchero", but surprisingly, he was more virile. I find the lovemaking between an innocent girl and an experienced man very romantic. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit.

The love scenes were also written like the first book's. Semi-explicit. Siguro kapag nakuha talaga ng characters ang simpatya mo, itotolerate mo na lang talaga ang actions nila. They got married, and I found it rather appropriate. Ang baliw ko ba? Haha.

Their second love scene was bolder. Confident na si Aleia, they can clearly see each other's faces which made me more kilig (haha) at mas may puso na. Ang sweet (lol, haha) na marriage proposal, during fornication pa.

I loved how it ended: Lander throwing a fist at Miguel's face, Miguel running after Aleia, and Lander interrupting their moment by saying "Son of a bitch, Aya, since when did you learn to kiss like that?" SUPER WIN. Haha. Nagustuhan ko rin yung naka-ukang message sa bato from Miguel, Lander, and Aya. P.S. Sira-ulo si Lander. Hahaha! Hindi ako maka-get over diyan. I love their dynamic. Feeling ko tuloy, saling pusa lang si Celine dito. Hahaha!

I would also like to commend how fantastic the continuity was. Ang galing ng writer. Two different stories in one big mess of a situation. At salamat sa kanya dahil feeling ko mas precious sina Aya at Miguel kaysa sa bida ng Book 1. May hints kasi ang Mig-Aya (chos, nag-imbento ng portmanteau lol) sa Book 1, and I ship them. Haha.

Dagdag ko lang, Aleia is such a pretty name. :)

Rating: 4/5

His Smile by Angel Bautista

How long does it take to change someone's life? Sometimes it only takes a few seconds. The length of time it takes to see a smile...

Jackie had a crazy brief affair with Gio when she was in Vietnam. Malinaw sa kanya na walang patutunguhan iyon. He was a waiter in a roadside bar. Hindi ito aaprubahan ng mommy niya na mataas ang standards sa pagpili ng lalaking pakakasalan niya. Ayon nga sa kaibigan niya, kapag umuwi siya kasama si Gio sa Pilipinas, hindi na magiging romantic comedy ang dating ng istorya nila kundi tragedy na.

Trahedya rin kayang matatawag kung sasabihin niya sa mga kaibigan niya na in love siya kay Gio? At gaano pa kalaking trahedya ang mangyayari kung pagkalipas ng tatlong taon ay muli itong bumalik sa buhay niya sa mismong araw na iaanunsiyo ang engagement niya sa ibang lalaki?

---o---

This is gonna be long(and I wrote this first paragraph after I wrote everything else and realized that this review is, indeed, long), but I swear it’s worth it, so I hope magpagtiyagaan ninyo. Also, may ilang spoilers din(but I hope nabasa niyo na itong novel na ito bilang last year pa ito narelease), so read at your own risk.

Now, this is my kind of story. Ni hindi ko alam kung paano ko sisimulang i-review ang nobelang ito dahil sa sobrang dami kong gustong sabihin. I love it so much. Napaka-mature ng tema, ng discourse, ng characters, ng storya.

Full disclosure(at side story na rin): Si Angel Bautista ang paborito kong PHR Writer. Binili ko ang His Smile nung karerelease pa lang nito. Automatic. Angel Bautista eh. Minsan nga, kapag pumapasok ako sa Precious Pages, mga nobela ni Ms. Angel agad ang hinahanap ko. Kahit ‘yung mga dati na niyang naisulat. I just want to have it, kahit hindi ko muna basahin kaagad. What drew me into liking Ms. Angel Bautista is her BBB Trilogy. What drew me into loving her are her Gibbons Girls. Consistent siya, basta, napakamature ng craft niya. Mature, for the lack of better word. (Sorry, Ms. Angel. Hehehe). Basta ‘yan ang una kong na-feel nang basahin ko ang gawa niya. Maturity and realism. So ayun, marami pa akong Angel Bautista novels dito na hindi ko pa nababasa, and I’d possibly review them some time. Ganun ang nangyari sakin sa kaso ng His Smile, ngayon ko lang nabasa after a year of having it on my shelf. Isa pang disclosure: I was kind of afraid na basahin and eventually gawan ng review ang His Smile dahil natatakot ako na baka hindi ko magustuhan or biglang mabago ang isip ko sa pagkagusto ko kay Ms. Angel(and then post it on my blog for all to see), all because I am a big fan. But goddamnit, the woman never fails to amaze me. Bigtime. Did I say she was consistent already? Consistent in a way na pag pinabasa sayo ang isang title page-less na manuscript, you would know it’s her who wrote it. She has a very distinct voice in writing. And I guess when you’re a writer and you finally grasp your style and who and how you are as a writer, it never fades. Madam Angel Bautista, I couldn’t love you enough, saludo po ako sa inyo. The only thing I regret about His Smile is not reading it as soon as I got it.

Anyways, back to work.

One of the things na na-amaze ako ay kung papaano naisiksik ng writer ang napakaraming informative narrations and even dialogues without it being too dragging. Walang cricket moments sa nobelang ito, I swear. Even the exchange of thoughts between Jackie and her friends, super win. Sila ang comic relief sa rather “heavy” drama peg ng heroine.

The tension between Jackie and Gio, and the sexual at that, was wonderfully weaved. I get where Jackie is coming from, successful woman na under pa rin sa pakpak ng conniving niyang ina. Her affair with Gio was the perfect “result” of her exhaustion from her mother’s wicked ways of pairing her with filthy rich guys. At least iyan ang nakita kong rason para “matanggap” kong nakipag-one night stand siya kay Gio. I guess ‘yan din ang reason kung bakit siya napamahal kay Gio in that short span of time. I mean, you’re tired with your “planned-out” life(by Jackie’s mother, by the way) and then suddenly you meet someone different. Someone within your wavelength. Someone na hindi mo kailangang magpretend pag kaharap mo. When it’s like that with someone, talagang mamahalin mo eh. Yung lalo kang nagiging totoo sa sarili mo pag kasama mo ang taong ito. Now, that is a wonderful kind of love. Kung iyon man ang ginustong palutangin ng writer sa isinulat niya, then hell yes, she succeeded.

Ang favorite scene ko sa nobelang ito ay yung naglalaro ng anino si Jackie from the sunlight peeping through the curtain then suddenly her shadow play was joined by Gio, who was beside her. Super precious moment. At super precious rin ng ngiti ko. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko maalis. Sobrang natuwa ako sa scene na ito, solely because ginagawa ko rin ito tuwing umaga. Ang problema lang, wala akong someone na magdurugtong sa mga shadow figures na ginagawa ko. :p

What I also like about this ay yung maiksing flashback ni Gio. I mean it just shows me how he got into being invested in Jackie. He’s in the middle of getting to know himself after studying through backpacking; he’s trying to find his place in the world before he embarks on his master’s degree. And then bam. He meets Jackie. Two lost souls, albeit from entirely different contexts... nonetheless, two lost souls finding familiarity, refuge, tranquility, and solace in each other. Tamang-tama ‘yung linyang: How long does it take to change someone’s life? Sometimes it only takes a few seconds. The length of time it takes to see a smile.

Sa present time, kahit ilang taon na ang lumipas, hindi pa rin nawala ang lalim ng koneksyon nina Gio at Jackie. Consistent pa rin ang tension between the two, samahan pa ng bearing ng flashbacks nila, so super believable at nakakakilig talaga na after three long years, mahal pa rin nila ang isa’t-isa. And it just goes to show na ganun kabagsik ang impact sa kanila ng affair nila noon sa Hanoi.

Gusto ko rin sabihin na napakavisual ng nobelang ito. Ang galing. Para akong nasa Hanoi. Siguro dahil na-experience talaga ng writer ang buhay sa Hanoi(nabasa ko sa acknowledgement page ni Miss Writer, hehe). Wala akong incident na babalikan ko pa ‘yung binasa ko dahil napakunot ang noo ko kasi hindi ko naintindihan. Smooth reading. Although may tendency talaga akong magpatigil-tigil dahil gusto kong namnamin ‘yung binabasa ko, gusto kong magwallow sa mga scenes para mas madama ko, and most times, I even act the scenes out. Closet emotera kumbaga. Haha. Isa pang bagay na na-amaze ako ay yung paggamit ni Ms. Angel Bautista ng metaphor ng “proverbial apple” na naincorporate sa attraction ng dalawang bida. Ang galing. And then she took another bite of the proverbial apple... Tangina, chills.

Also, about the mature thing I was talking about... lalo na sa characters, I mean, normally may issue ako sa older woman-younger man relationships eh. Mas gusto kong mas matanda ang lalaki. Kahit 10 or so years pa ang age gap na ‘yan like Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev(but they broke up, so RIP, hehe), okay lang sa’kin. Personal preference lang. Pero dito, halos hindi ko napansin ‘yun eh. As long as they are adults acting like one, then I’m good to go. Isa sa pet peeves ko ‘pag nagbabasa ay yung characters na umaakto nang hindi angkop sa edad nila.

Lalo kong minahal si Gio nung humingi siya ng fair fight mula kay Tito Peter. Ganyan ang tunay na lalaki. May balls. It also shows na kahit limang taon ang tanda ni Jackie sa kanya, kayang-kaya niyang tapatan ang maturity nito. Na hindi magiging hindrance ang age gap nila because he is the very epitome of a real man. Na kayang magdecide para sa sarili, na may paninindigan, na maginoo pero medyo bastos(again, personal preference :D hehehe).  Alam mo ‘yun, he was ready to “not bother” Jackie when she told him her side of the story.  Tunay na lalaki.

Eto na. Syempre walang perpektong bagay, alam natin ‘yan(lol). What I didn’t like, even at the slightest bit, about the story is the “easy way out” for the characters noong malapit nang i-announce ang wedding date nina Peter at Jackie when they were at the ancestral house. I mean, parang bombang bigla na lang mahal pa pala ni Peter ang ex-wife niya, and the feeling was mutual for Christine. I don’t wanna brand it as deus ex machina—although I feel that it was a little bit like that—dahil pakiramdam ko naman ay medyo najustify ng writer kung bakit ganoon ang naging exit for Peter. I mean, the man is forty-one years old at divorced pa. If you meet that kind of man in real life, he probably  already met the love of his life, which is his ex-wife. He was previously committed bigtime, so posibleng itong current relationship niya ay maging daan na lang para may kasama siyang tumanda. For convenience, sabi nga ni Ms. Angel Bautista. I hope I’m still making sense.

Siguro lalong gaganda ang storya kung naging special edition ang nobelang ito at medyo humaba-haba nang kaunti tapos maiipit sa matindi-tinding pagdedesisyon si Jackie, and then malalamatan ang relasyon nina Gio at Tito Peter. Yung may collateral damage sana para mas nakaka-whoa at nakakasabog ng utak.  I mean, who doesn’t love collateral damage? Hehe. Ako lang yata ang natutuwa sa collateral damage, sadista lang siguro talaga ako. Ayun lang naman siguro, decisions reek flawed but pragmatic characters. At least for me.

As for the ending, it wasn’t overdone. Which is perfect. Nothing too grand, just the hero and heroine tracing back their old steps realizing that “yeah, this happened before and three years later, guess what, we still feel the same.” Na para bang after three years, Jackie and Gio are given the security na finally, eto na ang happy ending nila. Forever is theirs for the taking.

In conclusion, if this novel were a movie, you’d find me at the best seat at the furthest back row, bawling my eyes out due to all the feelings, and occasionally wiping my tears and sipon with my shirt(na pamunas ko rin sa daliri habang kumakain ng french fries, I’m so gross). Haha.

Sana kahit isa lang man diyan sa mga nabanggit ko sa itaas ay nilayon talagang palitawin ng writer, kasi super fan talaga ako ni Ms. Angel. And I’d be hysterical pag nalaman kong oo. :D

It’s a stunning read, everybody.

Rating: 4.75/5

Can't Help Falling In Love by Cady Lorenzana

"Iyong mga imperfection mo ang minahal ko dahil hindi mo tinangkang itago sa akin kung ano ka. With you, I can't help falling."

Matagal nang pangarap ng romance writer na si Athena ang makapagbakasyon sa Amanpulo. Kaya nang magkaroon siya ng pagkakataon na makapunta roon nang wala ni singkong gagastusin, complete with accommodation, sinamantala niya iton. Everything was perfect except for one thing: may makakasama siyang hindi lang antipatiko, mukha pang galit sa mundo - si Carlo.

Okay na sana dahil guwapo ito, pero unang engkuwentro pa lang nila, kinunsumi na siya nito nang bonggang-bongga. And to make matters worse, ka-share pa niya ito sa villa na tutuluyan niya.

Isang araw ay kinailangan niya ang tulong nito at hindi naman siya tinanggihan nito. At nang magkasakit siya, inalagaan at binantayan siya nito. Dahil doon, unti-unting lumambot ang puso niya rito. She started seeing him in a different light. Kaya mula sa pagiging nuisance, naging hero material ito sa nobelang isinusulat niya. Dumating pa nga sa puntong lihim na niyang hinihiling na ito na ang hinihintay niyang "the one." Pero suntok sa buwan yata ang hiling niya dahil nalaman niya na hindi pa rin ito nakaka-get over sa alaala ng namayapang kasintahan nito...

---o---

Tama si Cady Lorenzana sa characterization ni Athena. Taklesa nga ito. Ang odd lang ng engkwentro nila ni Carlo sa airport dahil tinalakan kaagad ni Athena ang binata. Nabwisit pa si Athena dahil "sinungitan" rin siya ng lalaki. I don't know, the guy offered to help pick up her things, right? Siguro iba lang ang tono ni Carlo sa isip ko. At siguro super tactless lang ng tono ni Athena sa akin. I mean, who does that in real life? Nabangga lang ang katawan, giyera kaagad. But it's fiction, right? Only the brave gets tangled into an interesting story. So patatawarin natin yan. :D

Carlo strikes me as someone who has a calm demeanor. And I was impressed na consistent ang katangian niyang iyon throughout the story. Well-thought ang mga sinasabi niya. He's wise, he's composed. In short, kabaliktaran ni Athena. I guess that's why they clicked, opposites eh. Carlo is also mysterious, hindi ko lang matukoy kung dahil ba sa misteryoso talaga siya o dahil sa past nila ng ex-girlfriend niya. Diyan ko lang siya hindi mabasa.

Isang eksena pang napa-cringe ako because of disbelief ay 'yung encounter among Athena, her ex-boyfriend, and his new girlfriend. The confrontation is a semblance of juvenility. I mean, they're adults. Plot twist, sure, a bitchy new girlfriend. But, for the love of God, the adult thing to do is to be an adult, to be the bigger person. Ewan, comment lang naman. Hindi kasi kapani-paniwala na ganun ang engkwentro sa pagitan ng tatlong matatandang tao, doktor pa 'yung isa. (Tama, 'di ba? Doktor 'yung ex ni Athena? Hehe.) Anyways, I guess the author was just staying true to Athena's tactlessness. Nonetheless, it was a cringefest.

As for Carlo and Athena's romance, it felt fast-paced to me. Or maybe not really fast-paced. Nakulangan ako sa build up ng author sa kanilang dalawa. I remember myself thinking habang binabasa ko ang nobela, "Shit, I'm almost done with the novel and that's gonna be it?" Kaunti na lang ang ililipat kong pahina at hindi ko pa ramdam ang build up sa kanila. I mean, in a larger sense, two weeks is a pretty short time. Even if it's spent in the perfection that is Amanpulo. Two weeks. Iyon ang time bomb na given sa hero at heroine para magka-inlove-an. At the end of Chapter Eight, nakalagay pa "Mahal na niya si Athena." Ang bilis, lalo na't may gineget-overan siyang pumanaw na babae. I guess that says a lot about Carlo as a man, as a partner, and as a human. He may be composed, but he's fickle. I mean, he was clearly still super invested in Bianca at the beginning of those two weeks, and even during those times. And then suddenly he's just not? How come? Two weeks lang 'yon. At ang bigat pa ng pagka-connected niya kay Bianca. He was blaming himself for her death. That's how invested Carlo was. I don't buy it. Dead Bianca and Present Carlo's connection was dark, deep, and intimate. Masyadong na-overpower ng backstory nina Bianca at Carlo ang present happenings kina Carlo at Athena.

Mas invested lang siguro ako sa hero ng nobela dahil sa separate story niya(the one including Bianca), to the point na I feel violated when Carlo "cheats" on Dead Bianca with Athena. Which, I guess, should not be the case dahil mas maka-empathize dapat ako sa heroine kaysa sa hero.  I don't know, I just tend to have that kind of thinking. I guess it would have worked for me kung mas matagal ang time bomb na nakalaan sa hero at heroine para madevelop, lalo na outside Amanpulo. I mean Amanpulo was supposed to be the beginning, right? Tapos paglabas nila, mahal na nila ang isa't-isa. Siguro gusto lamang ng writer na lumutang na it was love at first sight between the two, or love at two weeks' sight, or whatever. Which is not wrong... if you don't have a backstory as abysmal as that.

On a different note, I just want to commend the writer's laid out imagery of Amanpulo. Very well researched and very well utilized into a romance writing. Ang vivid lang ng presentation to the point na magugustuhan mong magbakasyon rin doon dahil lang sa nabasa mo, magugustuhan mong magbakasyon kahit hindi mo nakikita sa pictures dahil malinaw ang pagkakalalahad. I guess that's a plus.

Rating: 2.5/5