[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.

[Book Review] Crushingly Close

Crushingly Close
Stella Torres
July 19, 2016
Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit

What's a woman to do when she's fiercely independent, and love comes knocking without warning? I think this pretty much sums up our main character, Agnes Escueta's, predicament in this brand new offering from Filipino #romanceclass author Stella Torres.

I think every woman goes through that moment where she has to choose between her hard-won independence, and the stirrings of her heart, thinking that choosing one is equal to losing the other.

What I like about this story is that it is character-driven. There are no super villains plotting the demise of our main character. There are no uber rich, snotty and all-powerful antagonists, who can ruin someone's life by waving their money and influence. I think this is where the the beauty of this story lies. It is relateable, and it is a slice of life. It can be anyone's story.

Agnes, the protagonist, is smart, successful and driven. She's also hard-working and family-oriented, and most of the time, logic dictates her actions rather than her heart. I love that Agnes has her priorities straight. Filipino family values were clearly showcased in the story through Agnes' constant worry for her sick father. I also love her voice, because she sounds stable and thoughtful. She sounds like someone who has had her character tested, but still remains standing.

As for the love interest, I was picturing Atom Araullo as Daniel Ferrer the whole time I was reading the story. He was my LI peg right from the very start. (hihi) I think it really takes some serious balls to go after the affections of a fiercely independent woman. Major thumbs up for Daniel for stepping up!

The way Daniel sees through Agnes' walls, and the way Agnes calls out Daniel's BS speaks volumes about how they see each other. I loved the gradual development of their connection to each other. It was like a push-and-pull between two people who are clearly into each other, but things kept getting in the way, and priorities had to be sorted. It would have been easier to let things die down, but I really liked that they made things work.

All in all, I really enjoyed this story. It has no grand and unrealistic gestures, but its beauty lies in its simplicity. And hey, giving in to the stirrings of your heart does not necessarily mean relinquishing independence. The two are not mutually exclusive, and author Stella Torres shows just that in this story. 

LINKS : Amazon // Goodreads

At twenty-four years old, Agnes Escueta has risen from the ranks to become a producer for Sports Tonight. No one can touch her, it seems—not even crush-worthy anchorman Daniel Ferrer, who she gets to work with every single day. When a road trip to Indonesia throws Agnes and Daniel together, they find themselves working in close quarters. It doesn’t take long before Agnes finds herself being charmed by Daniel, and her defenses start to melt with his touch. With deadlines looming and a big game coming, Agnes must figure out how to let Daniel into her life without risking her professional reputation—and without breaking her own heart.

Stella Torres is the author of Save the Cake and the short story “Be Creative” from Kids These Days: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy (Vol. 1)). She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and worked briefly in public relations, but has chosen to pursue her post-graduate studies in the field of education. She loves dark chocolate, hates flyaways, and is constantly in search of comfortable shoes.

Connect with the author:

Blog: http://thegreatbigjump.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/StellaTorresAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheStellaTorres

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stella_meimei

[Blog Tour] Excerpt Reveal - Crushingly Close

Crushingly Close

By Stella Torres

July 19, 2016

“Well.” Daniel looked both ways before he spoke. “You wanted to talk.”

“Yes.” I jammed my hands into my pockets. “I just wanted to know—“ 

He grabbed my face and kissed me. Hard. 

With a kiss like that, it was hard to maintain my balance. I took my hands out of my pockets and wrapped my arms around his neck so I could kiss him back, but it still took a lot of effort to keep me standing.

The two of us came up for air, our breaths warm against our mouths.

“Nine minutes,” he said. “We’ve lost one.”

“What? Oh.” I didn’t have to check my watch. Mang Buboy was due to come back from his smoke break soon.

“Did you want to know where we stand?”

“That, yeah.” My knees strained from standing on tip-toes for far too long. “I’m—I—last night—“
“I want to be the one holding you.” He ran his hands through my hair. “I want to touch you in more ways than one. Would you let me be that for you?”

No words came out of my mouth when I tried to speak. All attempts at coherent thought went out of the window.

“Would you let me touch you?” he said. “Would you let me get close to you?”

I blinked. “I—I want you. I want everything.”

“Then let it go.” He dropped a kiss on my mouth. “Let it all go.”

The ping of the elevator interrupted my thoughts. I let go of him and sank back on my heels. “We should go back.”
“Good idea.” He held up his hand. “Room key?”

My hands went inside my pockets. No key card to be found. “I’ll knock.”

“Let me.” He rapped his knuckles against the door. “Kelvin, we know you’re in there.”

The door opened a few seconds later. “That was quick,” Kelvin said. “What did you talk about?”

Daniel and I exchanged knowing looks with each other. We had forgotten about the peep hole through the door.

“Nothing,” I said. “Hey, where are we on the FTP? Mang Buboy should be back soon…”

At twenty-four years old, Agnes Escueta has risen from the ranks to become a producer for Sports Tonight. No one can touch her, it seems—not even crush-worthy anchorman Daniel Ferrer, who she gets to work with every single day. When a road trip to Indonesia throws Agnes and Daniel together, they find themselves working in close quarters. It doesn’t take long before Agnes finds herself being charmed by Daniel, and her defenses start to melt with his touch. With deadlines looming and a big game coming, Agnes must figure out how to let Daniel into her life without risking her professional reputation—and without breaking her own heart.

LINKS : Amazon // Goodreads

Stella Torres is the author of Save the Cake and the short story “Be Creative” from Kids These Days: Stories from Luna East Arts Academy (Vol. 1)). She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and worked briefly in public relations, but has chosen to pursue her post-graduate studies in the field of education. She loves dark chocolate, hates flyaways, and is constantly in search of comfortable shoes.

Connect with the author:

Blog: http://thegreatbigjump.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/StellaTorresAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheStellaTorres

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stella_meimei

[Event] Luna East Paperback Launch + #RomanceClass Anniversary

Check the details above and be sure to come! We have cookies!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The stories from LUNA EAST ARTS ACADEMY are about love. And also, friends, food, kissing, rumors, mean people, insecurities, birthdays, breakups, making up. We set it in an arts academy because we wanted everyone to have a talent, and know it. Because no one is ordinary, if you know them well enough.

Who are you, at LUNA EAST? Are you a popular kid, a wallflower, a drama club diva, a debate whiz? Visit lunaeastacademy.org to read more stories from #LUNAEAST, and submit your own. For readers 16 and up.

BOOK LINK:

Luna East Website: lunaeastacademy.org

Paperback Order Form: bit.ly/lunaeastv1

AUTHORS’ BIO:

Chrissie Peria is the author of All’s Fair in Blog and War, a contemporary romance novella featuring feuding travel bloggers in Macau. When not writing, she serves her tiny overlord Miffy and Miffy’s poodle/minion, Cooper. She also enjoys cooking, taking photos and playing with dolls. Chrissie is currently working on a contemporary YA romance featuring books and boys who like books.

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult novellas. Her YA fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is about gods of Philippine mythology, in college. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in publishing.

Ronald S. Lim has been writing for a newspaper for almost a decade now, but he’s been writing stories for much longer. He is co-author of the book 60 Minutes: Interview with People Who Inspire. He has more books than he has clothes.

Nurse by profession, educator at heart, Athena Claire Duenas has been a bookworm for as long as she can remember. Her passion for reading started when she “met” Archie Andrews in a store at the airport. Aside from reading, she enjoys writing short stories and reviews at thebookjunkie.weebly.com, playing the keyboard, and just cuddling with her dog, Frou-Frou.

Miles Tan likes inhabiting imaginary worlds, from fantasy books to sci-fi shows to cheeky mysteries to role-playing games. Her contemporary romance novella Finding X is available on Amazon.

M. Protacio-De Guzman works in the field of HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health. His poems and stories have been published in The Philippines Free Press, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, and The Philippines Graphic Magazine. He has also been anthologized in Ladlad 3: An anthology of gay writing in the Philippines edited by J. Neil Garcia and Danton Remoto. He also has ebooks available in Amazon and Smashwords, among others. 

Writing has always been Kristel S. Villar’s first love, but it was only in her late 20s when she re-discovered her passion for writing fiction. When she is not busy daydreaming of story plots, she covers sporting events for a national broadsheet and takes care of her husband and son. She is addicted to coffee. 

Alyssa Ashley Lucas gets her writing inspiration from the peaceful and beautiful scenery of her beloved hometown down south of the metro. She grew up together with Harry Potter and the Sweet Valley twins. She loves to read YA, detective stories, romance novels, classic novels, or any book that comes her way. She has always dreamed of becoming a writer.

Addie grew up reading Sweet Valley University and Nancy Drew mysteries. She finished a degree in Communication Arts and really wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking, but due to high production costs, she opted to tell her stories through her novels. Being the hopeless romantic that she is, she will stop at nothing to share her passion with everyone and hopes that she could infect others with it. She’s a daydreamer by day and an author by night. She has released her first book Hello: A Trilogy.

Anne Plaza has a degree in Psychology, but has actively pursued a career in writing in her previous work as a reporter and online editor. She currently works in the field of marketing communications and spends most of her time writing fiction (while not on the lookout for the nearest cupcake and cronut store). Aside from writing, she loves to read contemporary romance, young adult, fantasy, and historical fiction. She also collects stamps and postcards, and loves everything about cats. Anne is based in Quezon City, Philippines.

Jen C. Suguitan is a PR practitioner by day and a storyteller/ninja by night. Her love affair with words and letters was too strong that not even her differently-wired brain can actually stop her. She has written for different publications including a national broadsheet prior to diving into the PR industry. When she’s not writing, she’s probably thinking of what to write about next.

D. R. Lee is a law student hailing from the Philippines. Outside of her academic endeavor, she does writing, painting, and a whole lot of reading. On a perfect day, she talks with the people inside her head and tells their stories through printed words. You can reach her by email at: drlee.peacelovebacon@gmail.com.

Jayen San Diego likes to share her imaginary world through writing. She is the author of Just A Little Rain, one of the novels produced during #romanceclass. She is a news archivist by day, fiction writer by night, and a self-confessed fangirl in between. Read about her thoughts about life, love, and writing at jayensandiego.blogspot.com

Stella Torres graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a concentration on creative writing. She also worked briefly in public relations and earned her master’s degree in special education before moving back to the Philippines. Stella is currently taking up her PhD in education at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She writes novels, short stories, and unproduced screenplays when not establishing correlations between test scores.