[Book Review] Promdi Heart (Hometown Love Stories)

Promdi Heart 

(Hometown Love Stories)

Georgette S. Gonzales

Agay Llanera

Chris Mariano

C.P. Santi

Jay E. Tria

Ines Baustia-Yao

Contemporary Romance, Filipino Authors, #RomanceClass

Reviewing releases from #RomanceClass is always a welcomed break from the monotony of my daily grind as a cog in a corporate machine. And this short story anthology containing six different stories set in different provinces in the Philippines was definitely a pleasant surprise in lots of different ways. 

Since #romanceclass was having the #RCReadathon2020, an online event where one #romanceclass book is featured for a week, I decided to give it a go. I got my copy off of Amazon and posted my live-reactions on Twitter through a thread. Still though, I think this book is a gem and needs a proper book review, thus here we are.

Story No. 1 is Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi. It's really fitting that this was the opening story to the anthology because part of its context is the cultural divide between those from Manila and those from other provinces in the Philippines. As someone living in a province outside of Manila, the whole opening spiel in this short story was very relatable. There was also angst, cute banter and a very interesting setting in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental.

Story No. 2 is Letters About a Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao. Let me just say that I am a fan of Ines, especially her writing voice in her Young-Adult stories. This short story in particular did not disappoint. It is a slow-burn and told in a series of handwritten letters from the Main Character (MC), which is unique and very insightful. And since I am familiar of the terrain and culture in Negros Occidental, where this story is set, reading this felt like a huge treat. I can vividly imagine everything happening in my head, including the Love Interest (LI) who is a 'haciendero'. The MC's pining for the LI is very relatable, and at the same time frustrating. I was very vocal on Twitter about wanting the LI to suffer a little more though, so much so that I even tagged Ines on my tweet. That's how much this story affected me. 

Story No. 3 is Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano set in Kalibo, Aklan. Yay Ati-Atihan! The LI in this one is swoony and knows just what to say to set the mood for the whole story. I love that aside from the festive setting and the tension between the MC and LI, this story also included a conflict between passion and responsibility, between pursuing what you really love and appeasing your parents. I was so engrossed in reading this story that when I reached the end, I kept looking for the rest. I would love to read more if this story has a continuation. 

Story No. 4 is One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria set in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Here we have a self-aware LI who doesn't take himself seriously. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but this story was so frustrating for me, not because it is not good, but because it is THAT good. The banter and bonding between the MC and LI were really cute, and there was a build-up of rapport between them. Each scene seamlessly fitted to tell the story, but ultimately, it was frustrating. Author Jay E. Tria knows how I felt about this story because I tweeted her without mincing my words. Hahaha In my defense, I can be a really passionate reader.

Story No. 5 is Once Upon a Bully by Georgette Gonzales set in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Oh, oh, oh, this one hits a little close to home, because the MC is a bully, and I was one, too, in elementary. She reminded me of Angelica from the Nickolodeon cartoons called Hey, Arnold! I also identified with the MC's shame as an adult who realized that she was a bully when she was younger. Apart from that though,  I really liked the touch of tasteful sizzle in the how the story was told. The sexual tension between the MC and LI was effectively portrayed and very much palpable in the story, much like an unspoken promise of delightful things to come between the MC and the LI. 

Story No. 6 is Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera set in Pundaquit, Zambales. The beginning of this one was a bit confusing because MC was pining for another guy, and I was kinda rooting for her to get the guy she liked. But then LI entered the picture, and there was so much history between him and MC that I felt torn because of the effective love triangle. Then again, this one is short and sweet, and with a slow-burn leading to an effective tug between the LI and the Love Triangle. 

All in all, this anthology packs a punch. It's a charming read that takes the reader to different provinces in the Philippines and highlights the local culture in each province through the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each short story, and would highly recommend it to everyone. 

Links:

Goodreads / Amazon