First Time for Everything

Cafe Titas #1

by Mina V. Esguerra

During lockdown, good friends Sabrina and Victor spent a few days together in the same apartment. She was starting a cafe; he was teaching her some of his family’s recipes. They made sandwiches, then made out, and almost had sex. At 39 years old, it would have been her first time. She panicked, fled, and did not return any of his calls or messages.

That night looked like a rejection, but Victor was never mad at Sabrina about it. They’d known each other for a long time, and if anything had happened he would have failed a relationship anyway. He was already everything to everyone, from keeping the family business running, to being the reliable eldest son while the world was seemingly on fire. No time to fall in love, even with one of his favorite people.

Two years later, Victor gets a call from Sabrina who asks if they could possibly try again. Which part? Everything.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Fiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2023

About the author

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance and young adult novellas. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Development Communication, put to good use in her work as trainer and content management consultant. Mina lives in Metro Manila, Philippines, with her husband and daughter.

She finds inspiration in the lives and experiences of other people, so the answer to "Is this story based on you?" is always, always "No."

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A new Mina V Esguerra book is always to be celebrated and especially when it starts a series, and *super* especially when it focuses on an older woman! Sabrina is a 41yo virgin (not traumatised, not scared, just spent too much ttime at work and has never had anyone she wanted to take that leap with). Victor, her old friend, has always carried a torch for her, but has also never found time for a relationship due to work and his partly self-imposed position as the one who does absolutely everythinng in his family. Sabrina decides she wants to have sex, and it should be with Victor. The story is then a delightful, delicate, careful tracing of consent and communication and feeling one another out, with two people who've never really made room for a significant other having to manouvre round each other and work out if and how they fit in.

It's a very mature romance--no great dramas, people being reasonable and talking about things--but there is a world of feeling, and quiet fear, and deep tenderness. Also it's one of the few romances I've read that's actually set in a post Covid world, and we see how that shook both MCs' foundations.

A calm read but still a deeply engaging one. Lovely.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I find it jarring to discover a contemporary romance that says "during the pandemic" or some such, as if the pandemic had ended one or even two years later (we can have a discussion on the "now" status of the pandemic, for sure, but I want to say I loved this quiet romance for one thing above all else-it centered the experience that this had on its main characters.)This really effectively dealt with it defines a time of lockdown, discusses masks, immunocompromised relatives (and pick up from the airport) in the post-lockdown pandemic world and I deeply appreciate this as a person who follows the pandemic data and not the pandemic politics. And it was so well done in that regard - I found the heroine's mannerisms and thoughts SO relatable in a crowded situation.

That said, I can see where Esguerra's voice is more deeply rooted in new adult or young adult. The protags here are 41, but the writing read initially to me a little young. Sweet, pleasant, sexy but a little young. Despite this, I loved the regard between the characters, and the voice settled into a more recognizable one and it was a soft, sexy finish without dramatics. This book is a definitely a romance (despite my obsession about how Esguerra dealt with the pandemic) and the couple was very convincing and genuinely felt their age at the end. It's short, and it has a few delightful interactions with side characters, so if there's one complaint it's that I wanted more of everything, as usual with shorter books.

[Isla Noriega · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review)

Disclaimers: This is my first time reading Mina V. Esguerra's works with older characters & 🌶. The first-ever books of Ms. Mina's which I read in 2023 were from the Interim Goddess of Love series (with college-age characters and no spice). I read other Romanceclass novels with varying levels of spice between then and now too, thinking it was enough preparation. Frankly, it wasn't 😂

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Let’s cut to the chase: I love that these showcase an eldest son who overdelivers because the family business might crash without him and a dreamer who opens a cafe despite the economic odds of the pandemic. The main characters get to talk about their circumstances and the story’s buildup stays true to the title as it is her first time for everything iykyk. Sabrina also making sure Victor gets to recognize and ask for what he wants is such a great touch to the story too! Definitely soothed a part in me that mostly lurked in unrequited territory.

This duology also gave me the hope I needed when it comes to the uncertainty of the future and finding love in later years. (Let's hold on to whatever we have that life imitates art, I guess HAHA)

It was difficult not to ask for more backstory between Sabrina and Victor. I know it’s possible that it’s a part that the author intends to leave to the reader’s imagination as the past is not the focal point of the story. BUT the opportunity to showcase a deeper yearning between the couple, the hugot kind to make up for lost time, is there. Or maybe that’s a personal expectation on my part when reading the blurb. It’s a novella-length work after all.

[Diane RB (booksandthensome) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Arystine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forty-one-year-old Sabrina knew Victor from way back. When they were teens, Victor’s family used to supply food for her parents’ café. Victor would deliver food and Sabrina would notice he is always there at the café, subtly flexing his biceps.😁 As adults, they remained such good friends enough for Sabrina to trust him with something for the first time in her life.

I love that the MC is a woman in her 40s (tita age 😆) and the book is set during the pandemic. This is a good friends-to-lovers trope, and I adored how these two forty-somethings are acting like teenagers and “exploring” 😂 I don’t want to say more in order to avoid spoilers but as someone in this age bracket, I resonated a lot while reading.😊 Ending this with my fave line: “The other cool thing about being this age was that she knew herself well enough to anticipate needs and ask for them with almost zero shame.”

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The low rating is a prime example of the whole 'it's not you, it's me" thing. This is a lovely m/f romance where the woman is above forty (a rarity!), and it's sweet and angst-free and I liked the setting in the Philippines (I really need to diversify my romance reading) but I just found out I need higher emotional stakes in a romance, or maybe a tiny bit of tension, to enjoy it properly.

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Like, on a date?"
"Yes. Like what the kids do these days."
"Oh, we don't know what the kids do these days."

Sweet and smart romance novella featuring main characters in their 40s (!!!)

[Swai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been on a Mina Esguerra reading spree, mostly her earlier works, and decided to come up from breath by reading her latest. This book should have spoken to me, given where I am in my life -- age-wise, I should relate to Sabrina and Victor much more than the characters in their 20s and 30s in Mina's other series. I also read this at the same time as Totally Engaged, Mina's other novel with 40ish characters, which helped me realize how much more I liked that novel than this one.

So, my lackluster reaction to this book doesn't have to do with the age of the characters. I mean, Sabrina and Victor are fine. But they do talk about their age a lot. Especially Sabrina in relation to her virginity. It all made me realize that I'm not terribly invested in age in and of itself as a driving force for plot. What I love about many of Mina's other novels is how characters respond in subdued and unexpected ways to would-be dramatic/traumatic situations. There's something about the force of contrast that creates emotional texture. This novel, by contrast, is subdued mainly because not much happens. I didn't mind reading about Sabrina and Victor -- as well as their jobs, friends, and family -- but I felt less drawn in somehow.

[Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the height of the lockdown, Sabrina and Victor almost became something. But she ran away then, and thought she would never look back - until now. This was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, but will this thing of passion between these two old friends have the chance to blossom into something they could call love?

A quick read I squeezed in between the work I was doing over the weekend. I related too much with Kuya-of-all-trades Victor, spread too thin most of the time, too busy to properly lay down his boundaries, always the one left with all the stuff no one wants to be responsible for. I enjoyed that the tension in this book is resolved by proper communication - sometimes the miscommunication plot point can be fun, but with this exact couple it makes more sense that they know how to sort this out themselves. Looking forward to the next book out of Yumi and Kit's!

Originally posted on Instagram.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me some romanceclass books and this one is no exception. We got MCs who are in their 40's yayy (like me) and they reconnect after a moment during the pandemic. Sabrina is a 40 year old virgin and enlists the help of her friend Victor to change that. They approach it in a very adult way and always communicate, which was great.

With this one you get the humour, the sexy and the sweetness. And a dose of family interactions as well. Although we got to see Victor's family and heard about Sabrina's Her bestie is featured though and her book is neeext.

A quick read indeed!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anche questo ambientato nelle Filippine, con protagonisti 40enni, e post-pandemico.
Estremamente low-conflict per le ragioni migliori: i protagonisti si PARLANO, hanno la maturità per risolvere parlando e scelgono di farlo anche se non hanno ancora le idee chiare su quel che provano o vogliono.
Davvero una coccola, con riflessioni molto condivisibili sul rapporto col lavoro e sui propri desideri (in tutti i sensi).
Ne avevo bisogno in questo periodo ♥️

[April Rhea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is too smutty for my taste, I Almost DNF it. While I’m ok with s*x scenes in romance, I feel this book has too much s*x. in my opinion, the story lack character depth and the side characters esp Victor’s family are just there without any storyline about them. I would appreciate the story would have been longer in the sense that there should have been a back story on How Sabrina and Victor met and How they started their busines. This is a disappointment.

[Alexandra Almond]

Really sweet romance, and a sensitively handled topic of older woman who hasn't had sex until now for perfectly good reasons. A bit light on in terms of plot but it's a novella so I can live with that.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Sweet, low-key romance. Loved how communicative the main couple is.

[joy evangelista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how "quiet" their romance. The tita in me is kinikilig.

[caro_cactus · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Read because of K.J. Charles)

Slow and thoughtful and enjoyable, with interesting conversations about desire, trust, and nostalgia.

[Suraya (thesuraya) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ah, soft love.

[carrietracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my fave of Mina's books.

[Justin L Shaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely! Exactly what I wanted!

Older protagonists who are both nice and sexy people. Yummy sex scenes and plenty of food in the plot too.

[Aira Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

short but sweet.

[elstaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pull quotes/notes
"It was fun, and surprising—she thought her weekend sex date suggestion was going to be a good experience, but honestly did not expect 11/10 will sex again, and procrastination kissing at the door." (50)

"'Friends with benefits?'
That didn’t sound right either, although it did cover the situation. But yes, Victor was a friend, from whom she received sex and snacks. Those did seem like benefits? 'Maybe I need to get used to it.'" (77) you're not wrong

"...she kept her impulses to herself and grazed her lips against his bare shoulder, discreetly tasting him with her tongue. He visibly shuddered, made a sound of pleasure, and it was still so fascinating to get that kind of reaction from him. From something she did. Fascinating." (115)

"'You’re really great at making me feel like you want me.'
'Because I do.'
'Yeah and then after you do that fairly consistently, it seems like you’re not just being polite.'
'Because I do want you. I love you. And I try to remember to be polite.'" (128)

"'It just seems like I have all this control over my life because no one ever forces me to do what I do, I just…trained myself to choose a certain way every time. I’m never miserable. But I never asked myself how happy I can be.'" (144)