What You Wanted

Chic Manila #7

by Mina V. Esguerra

It's the classic one-night stand: Beach wedding, bridesmaid, groom's friend. When Andrea and Damon meet, sparks fly, and they give in to the attraction. Sounds simple, but Andrea's still getting over someone, and Damon thought he'd be hooking up with another person that night. It could still be simple, really, if they chalk it up to a weekend tryst and move on.

But one night becomes lunch the week after, and then dinner the next weekend...and before they know it, Andrea and Damon are still together, dealing with the feelings they know they might still have for other people. How hard can it be to get exactly what you want? How do you even know what it is?

***Andrea and Damon met in prequel short story WEDDING NIGHT STAND, but this book can be read as a standalone.***

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

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]

I am wolfing down the Chic Manila series. What I think I like most is the heroines, who are uncompromisingly flawed, and don't apologise for existing.

Andrea is a bit of a love 'em and leave 'em girl until she falls in love with her best friend Greg. They have sex at last, she thinks this is it, he tells her he doesn't want to trammel her free spirit and marries someone else. This is the story of how Andrea and a one-night stand from a wedding (Damon, who has been pursuing another woman for years) set out to show her ex and his never-was what they threw away or are missing. So far so romance set-up, but it's never by the numbers, because Andrea really hurts; because Greg isn't a 2D villain and his marriage is complicated too; because we see how all the personalities play into a complicated snarl of emotions where it isn't as simple as Good Girl or Evil Ex and your friends can hurt you and still be friends.

Chic without boring billionaires, emotionally complicated, with strong varied heroines who own their choices, this entire series is a joy. I finished this, downloaded another one and glommed it right away.

[Geri Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I was a bit torn about this. I certainly loved Andrea. She loves sex and hooking up and she makes no apologies for it which I loved. However, the resolution felt a little rushed to me.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment I started reading Mina V. Esguerra's latest book,  What You Wanted,  I thought: I missed this. I've read some of Mina's Spotlight New Adult books and liked them enough, but there was something that felt like coming home when she's writing something based in Manila again. And it helped that I read and liked the prequel to this book,  Wedding Night Stand,  so I was pretty excited to have first dibs on this book.

Andrea met Damon at her sister's wedding. It was just supposed to be a one-night stand, but days and weeks after the wedding, Andrea finds herself seeking out Damon, seeing and spending more time with him. But it's not a completely simple romance as both of them have issues of their own: Damon is pining over Geraldine, known as the ice queen who he has been pursuing for a while, and Andrea is still nursing a broken heart from Thad, who dropped her after a weekend together and got married to someone else. Andrea and Damon agreed to use each other to get what they want...but what do they really want, anyway?

I wasn't even halfway through and I was already charmed by Andrea and Damon, and I was rooting for the two of them to get what they wanted, whatever that was! I mean, I sort of knew what it was, being the reader, but I had such a good time watching things unfold for the two of them. I was a little surprised with how some of Andrea's angst with Thad resonated with me but I'm not going to go there because that's in the past. Let's just say I get what she meant about that, and how awful it feels when there's a Naomi. I remember feeling all ranty whenever Andrea was alone with Thad and how I wanted to shoo him away. (But other than that, I still think I am more of a Julie, haha)

And speaking of Damon! I liked Damon a lot. There's so much about him that's easy to like, in an alpha-male kind of way. Like how he was focused, and how he didn't resort to manipulation and instead just proved himself to show that he deserved to get what he wanted. I liked how he seemed so dangerous and in some ways, wild, but also can be pretty gentle at times. I would probably be intimidated like hell if I meet someone like Damon in person, but I think I will still be secretly watching him. :P (Haha, see, I'm a Julie.) I liked him so much that I told Mina that it seemed like there's competition for Lucas of Fairy Tale Fail's spot in my heart. Gasp!

I really liked  What You Wanted.  While most of the story revolved around the "extended" hook-up, there's a lot more in their story that gives reader a chance to see how characters like Andrea and Damon change, find out, and eventually, get what they really wanted. :)

Also - lots of food in this book, so yeah, don't read this with an empty stomach. Sushi, grilled fish, juice, and siopao. :D

--

Also posted at I Like It Dog-Eared

[Catherine Caparas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is already up in my blog! Check it here!

[H. Bentham]

I've finally read this last summer - it's the last Chic Manila book I haven't read yet at that point - and I love it so much! Yeah, like there was any doubt if I'd love any Mina V. Esguerra book. LOL. ⁣
•⁣
I've screamed time and again that Kimmy is my favorite Chic Manila Heroine (and she still is, I think), but I have a special place in my heart for Andrea. She's strong and amazing and she owns her freedom and her life, and society can label her screwed up or whatever, but she's a wonderful person and I want to be her friend! 😭⁣
⁣
I've read Wedding Night Stand before and this book continues the flirty and wild chemistry between Andrea and Damon. I loved how non-committal Andrea was at the beginning - which was understandable, growing up being constantly compared to Manang Julie, and well, she has been hurt before - and I found it v entertaining and fun that the whole thing can be described as a One-Night-Stand that became two nights, then three, then whaddayaknow, they're stuck with each other (happily! By Choice!)🥰🥰🥰⁣
⁣
Oh, and LYF is my fave Chic Manila, but I must say, I like Damon more than Manolo. Maybe bec we've got more banter between the leads here than in LYF, but my memory is shit so I can't confirm that. LOL (I probably need to reread these two books one after the other and get back to y'all if you're interested to know my ~expert opinion on things. 😂) I just ~FEEL~ like I like Damon better. ❤️⁣

What You Wanted is amazing and it's one of my fave reads this year! ⁣

*This review also appears as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites

[Laís Arjona · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0
I LOVED this story! Andrea and Damon are such a wonderful couple, the way they fell in love was so natural and honest, I really liked how open they were with each other, and how they didn't care about what other people said about them.
I am trash for women like Andrea, she lives her life the way she wants, she's honest to herself and to other people as well, she choses to have an active love life and she doesn't think less of herself, or admit people to think she's less than great. I didn't like the way she talks about the "Ice Princess", but it didn't really bothered me, cause she wasn't judging other women for real, she just didn't like the situation Georgina had put Damon.
Thad was the tipical guy that thinks he can count on a queue of women waiting for him. I liked how Andrea didn't let him use her as an excuse to end his wedding, I liked that she has pushed him away because she loved herself way more than she has ever loved him.
Anyway, I loved Andrea and Damon's spontanity and calm, they're just two people falling in love and it's okay to deal with each other's past, because they're actually enjoying the process of growing to love someone.

[J.A Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually my first Mina Esguerra’s book and hopefully not the last one either. I would really love to read some more because having to read a book with Philippines’ setting on it is a bit refreshing, the familiarity with the places as to the names somehow felt like home. The story is good, and as well as the characters. Full review on my blog soon.

[lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Damon and Andrea's relationship!

Not sure who they were fooling with the whole "let's make the people we supposedly have feelings for really jealous" set up because it was that for like five (5) minutes, but eh.

Also just realised I haven't finished Julie and Anton's book, welp.

Parking this under #SnowInLoveBingo: Set Outside the US/Europe, as this book is set in the Philippines.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm so sad this is my last chic manila book :( i mean obviously i'm gonna buy the six 32 central series asap but these books slapped, i'd keep reading this series happily

anyways, esguerra managed to fill out yet another kind of romance plot (one night stand at a wedding followed by let's date to make our white moonlights jealous) with actual human characters that were very compelling. a whole talent!

3.5 stars

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this review and more on Books and Ladders!

Actual Rating: 3.5*

This was really cute. There were some parts that I didn't like the narrative but I 100% understand Andrea's perspective and actions. I really connected with the character and thought it was just a fun story in general.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about the writing in this left me feeling a little bit more removed from the book than I normally would feel and I'm going to have to think about why. I very much liked the hero and heroine in this, though, it was very different from any of the other romance class books that I have read to date.

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am totally into “we’re together to make our respective what-could-have-been’s jealous”!!

[Janus the Erudite Artist · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It's my life, that's all.
I won't quit. I will see where this leads."

What You Wanted follows the story of Julie's sister Andrea. In case you're not aware, Julie is the main character of Mina V. Esguerra's That Kind of Guy. While you don't need to read TKoG to understand What You Wanted, it let's readers get more in tune with Julie and Anton's presence in Andrea and Damon's story. Now back to Andrea and Damon. They met during Julie and Anton's wedding. There's a short story of that event, Wedding Night Stand, which I have not read yet. So if you're tempted to pick this book up, be rest assured that you can easily see how comfortable our protags are even if you haven't read WNS.

Andrea's perception of her love life is kind of sad. She feels like she's the girl you date that makes you realize you're tired of the game and ready to settle down - only with the next person after her. It makes me want to come sit by her side, give a hug and try to comfort her by saying things like: "Aw, sweety, it's not like that."

I can't quite pick out Damon though. Anton, being the only character who knows Damon well enough, perceives him as a womanizer. (His friends don't count as much because that's well, biased?) And yet I didn't see that kind of Damon in this story, other than what Geraldine says, and I'm not one to always believe what others say in real life, plus I always do try to see the good in people, I apply the same perception with book characters. So yeah, I don't know if I like him or not.

Denial. It's the one word that places how Andrea and Damon have been at with what is really going on in their relationship. They can't possibly not feel that they're falling for each other! Why else would they let this whole charade keep going any longer than it should? So yes, denial. And deny all they want, we know how this is going to end. Although not a particular favorite of mine, it's a cute story. Unconventional considering how they met, but it goes to show that there are so many ways to fall in love.

*Thank you, Mina V. Esguerra and Jothee Tan for granting my request to view an advance copy of What You Wanted.

For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com

[Jay Tria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the work.
I'm not one to pick up a book with a hookup type of premise. I've never quite rooted for a heroine who slept around and then somehow found true love in that hot mess of first dates and random guys. It takes a lot for me to believe that. Thus it says a lot that I absolutely loved What You Wanted.

I liked Andrea. She's not my kind of girl and I'm not what she'd call one of her people. But her frankness and her ability to see things as they are, behind the veil of people's everyday bullshit, were all utterly refreshing. Of course the very way she perceives the world and the 'rules' of the dating game, and even the way she looks at herself lead her to exactly the kind of trap she'd been hoping to avoid. But that's a journey I think you should take with her when you read the book.

I liked Damon too. I'd be shit scared of someone like him at first. Smart, rich, devilishly handsome, and all colors of messed up for the wrong girl for so long. But he's honest too, or he tries very hard to be. I'd say more about how awesome he is, and how well Damon and Andrea work together, but I don't want to spoil anything for you. As I said, go pick up the book and find out for yourself.

[Agay Llanera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a Mina Esguerra book that's set in the PH is like coming home. I didn't have to stretch my imagination to know exactly where the characters are, or what they're eating or doing. But this book is special in a way that it could have been morally conscious, but it was not. It was the take-it-or-leave, unapolegtic writing that got me hooked, as well as the strong characters, who might have been bait for judgment, but who couldn't care less what we thought. I especially like Andrea's motivation for "doing the right thing," not because it's what society dictates, but because she just didn't want to do it anymore.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have few issues with it, for one, the writing could use a lot of furnishing. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was on point and short-lived experience.

[Sab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect mood setter for the week ahead. Better review next time, when I've gathered all my feels.

[Swai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I read the short story prequel to What You Wanted. Less because it's necessary to understand the novel than because it's fun, and who doesn't want more of Andrea and Damon? This is one of my favorite couples ever (and I like many of Mina Esguerra's couples!). Let me try to explain . . . .

Romance pairings often tend to feature opposites, so it’s refreshing to see chemistry between two characters who unexpectedly similar, both in personality and in their relationship situation. Andrea and Damon have both been recently thwarted by a longtime love interest (Thad and Geraldine, respectively). Both their unrequited love interests, moreover, are an exception to their dating norm—neither Andrea nor Damon is the relationship-y type, and they usually don't take rejection (or acceptance) that seriously.

Andrea is Julie the manang’s flightier little sister, as in she flits from date to date—that is, until she realizes that she has serious feelings her longtime friend Thad. In My Imaginary Ex, the same thing happens to Jasmine, and the feelings are mutual—and the rest is history. In What You Wanted, the feelings are mutual too, but Thad convinces himself that Andrea needs excitement rather than stability, that she will move on to the next guy in a matter of months. Something similar runs through Julie’s head when she rejects Anton’s marriage proposal—but these two come to realize their mutual feelings, and the rest is, again, history.

The mutual feelings between Andrea and Thad, however, never overcome their mutual misunderstandings, and to make matters more complicated, Thad gets married within months of his hot weekend getaway with Andrea. Andrea's and Thad's feelings for each other are always mutual, but their timing is always bad.

Andrea, for her part, has become entangled in an extended one-night stand with Damon, and although she does not commit to Damon (whom she assumes thinks of her as a waystation to Geraldine), she also does not reciprocate when Thad makes overtures as his marriage breaks down.

Maybe I like complexity (both emotional and relational), but this novel was more entertaining and satisfying to me than That Kind of Guy (the Julie and Anton novel). Even though one would expect the homebody Julie to be the more thoughtful and introspective character, I actually found Julie’s perspectives on life and relationships more genuine and refreshing.

Or, maybe I like this book so much because it’s the one that helped me arrive at an epiphany about Mina Esguerra’s novels more broadly: which is that the same relationship structure can produce radically different outcomes, depending on the people, the situation, and the timing—and these different outcomes can all be "happily ever afters."

We know that friends-to-lovers is a trope, so yes, it makes sense that for Jasmine and Zack, the sweet, charming, long-time friendship becomes something more. But it makes just as much sense when, in a different novel (but the same series/universe), the same kind of friendship (between Andrea and Thad) takes a backseat to the sleazy hookup (between Andrea and Damon).

Andrea and Damon’s relationship doesn’t lack sweetness, but it gets there faster and in less conventional ways—through bad feelings about revenge kissing, through shower sex cramps, through impromptu visits to the shooting range, through difficult and illegible feelings that are constantly being mediated by other objects of desire. Andrea and Damon always seem like they’re being tested, that they’re not entirely sure of their feelings for each other even as they enjoy each other’s company. The challenge, particularly for Andrea, is how to navigate this uncertainty, how to deal with conflicting but equally valid feelings of desire.

Of course Andrea and Damon get their happy ending. But it's more meaningful because it is THEIR happy ending—they own it on their own terms, not based on what would objectively seem like a better or sweeter relationship.

[Chachic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Chachic's Book Nook.

Andrea and Damon first meet in the short story Wedding Night Stand , and their story continues in What You Wanted. This title is the latest in Mina V. Esguerra's Chic Manila collection, which has romance books featuring female twenty-something professionals in Metro Manila. Not too long ago, I was also a female twenty-something working in an office in Manila so these books are fun for me to read because I can relate to them. They feel realistic, like the stories can happen to someone I know. Which was why I dove into What You Wanted sooner rather than later. I also like how Mina keeps partnering with Filipino fashion bloggers for her book covers. What You Wanted's cover was designed by Tania Arpa, featuring fashion blogger Rhea Bue. Note to self: start posting OOTD shots so I can potentially be featured on a book cover.

I enjoyed Andrea and Damon's story of how they met and got together in Wedding Night Stand. I thought it was cute how they danced around their flirtation. What You Wanted is a continuation of their story and because they already got to spend a weekend together, the two of them are much more comfortable around each other. And I really liked that about them, how their sort-of-relationship felt really cozy. I liked both Andrea and Damon's personalities and I thought they were great together. Andrea has a bit of wild side and seems like a fun person to hang out with. She likes doing spontaneous things like suddenly going off to a secluded beach hours away from the city by herself. She also tended to be flighty when it comes to relationships and the one time she was ready to become serious with someone, she got hurt pretty badly. Damon is the type of guy that seems like he has everything going for him - handsome, smart, polished and financially well-off. And yet the girl he's been interested in for the past two years keeps dragging him along. For two people who haven't had a stellar record in the relationship department, Andrea and Damon sure handled things well between the two of them. But maybe it's because they tried to keep things casual - heck, it was supposed to be just a one night stand. That just kept being extended.

Like I said, I really liked how cozy Andrea and Damon were together. From how willing they were to meet the other person's friends and family, to how Andrea kept sleeping over, to how they had their meals together, to how they kept meeting around their office area... it just felt like they were meant to be together because it seemed effortless and drama-free (when it's just the two of them). The drama only happens when other people come into the picture. It made me root for them as a couple, and I wanted them to get over their hang ups and just be together. Overall, What You Wanted probably isn't my favorite Mina V. Esguerra romance because while I liked Andrea and feel like I could be friends with someone like her, I couldn't relate to her in the sense that I can't see even a sliver of myself in her. I probably have more in common with her older sister Julie, who is more steady and acts a bit like an old maid ("manang"). Damon, however, might be one of my favorite Mina V. Esguerra heroes. He's not perfect but even his imperfections seem appealing. Plus he loves to eat good food! Always a plus in my book.

The author's Chic Manila books can be read as standalones but the latter books have cameos from the characters in earlier books. In What You Wanted, Damon and Andrea meet at a wedding where he's a co-worker of the groom and she's the sister of the bride. That was the wedding of Anton and Julie from That Kind of Guy. Damon also lives in the same condo as Ethan and Moira from Welcome to Envy Park. I think these little overlaps make it a little bit more fun to read the books because it makes the reader feel like all the characters are connected somehow. What You Wanted was an interesting addition to this collection and I'm looking forward to reading more romances set in Manila.

My reviews of the rest of the Chic Manila titles:

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yay, sex-positive.
Not yay, undertones of prude shaming.
Also, the main pairing spends probably 80% of their scenes fucking, making out, or leading up to that.

I didn't really feel like I got to know the love interest Damon besides the hard facts mentioned about him (he's hot, he's rich, he doesn't have the best reputation, he's been chasing after the same girl for two years, he has all these different hobbies and things he's good at... okay, and???). Andrea, on the other hand, seemed to make being the casual dating/hookups type her entire personality. Girl, we get it. Personally, I even get you. So can we maybe just move on and talk about other things from time to time? Please? Way to reinforce the madonna-whore complex every time you bring up your sister (except f0r the last part, I guess). Just made me hate the word "manang" so much.

It was an 'okay' book overall, I just might have been looking for a little more depth from both the story and the characters. I don't normally have a problem with the fake dating and trying-to-make-other-people-jealous tropes (I more often than not even like them), but these characters in particular were just a little too immature for me to handle. Their character development at the end felt a little too rushed and abrupt. I can enjoy books without sympathizing with the protagonists, but not even the story could carry the characters for me in this one.

[Jai · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really. Close to a 4..

Pros: read this in one sitting. I stayed up till 2 am. Eminently readable. Love the dialog and characters. The food scenes were particularly fun. The messiness of feelings and past relationships and regret and the entanglement of friend groups in the drama was so good too.

Cons: this started really abruptly! It was only after I got to the end that I learned this was a continuation of Wedding Night Stand. I wish that that short story was packaged with this novella. Also, I realize that Andrea is supposed to be someone who has 'played the field' and is secure about it, but her characterization of (women in particular) that are 'saving themselves of marriage' was really negative. She later seems to grow past this, and yes some of it may be the hurt and defensiveness she feels about how people seem to judge her, but I wasn't a fan of what the main character was saying (those words...you cant really come back from what she was saying). Just let women have autonomy over how much sex they want to have. Period!

[Nightwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea is a heartbreakingly sympathetic heroine: she's unashamed of her dating and sex life, but she's ready for something more - loath though she is to admit it. Shortly before the book began she hooked up with her (male) best friend, assuming that this was the first step on a serious relationship - only to have him announce that she was too much of a free spirit for him to want to tame her. He quickly started dating and married someone else; Andrea is feeling increasingly isolated from her friend group in consequence. Two days before the book begins, she hooked up with a friend of the groom's at her sister's wedding - the only problem is Damon, who's hung up on a girl of his own, doesn't seem to have gotten the message that this was just a one-night-stand. The book's written in the first person, meaning Andrea is much more vivid than Damon is - but that's okay because she's more than capable of making the book amazing all by herself. "I’m just angry,” she imagines telling her sister. “I want to stop being angry.” Who hasn't been there?

[Solaine Chioro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ainda bem que eu, apesar de não ter gostado tanto do conto sobre a Andrea e o Damon, decidi dar uma chance pra essa novella, porque eu adorei!!! Não foi nivel Better At Weddings Than You, mas foi quase lá. Eu gostei muito da dinâmica da Andrea e do Damon aqui e, claro, fui muito trouxa com os dois em vários momentos. A Andrea em si é uma personagem que dá gosto de ver, sabe? Essa mulher ~espírito livre~ que só tá vivendo a vida dela numa boa e tá curtindo uns bons momentos com esse carinha aí que conheceu. O desenvolvimento da relação deles foi bem natural, adorei. Me incomodou um pouco sobre como ela tava sempre chamando a outra lá (esqueci o nome dela já, rs) de Ice Princess, mas, sei lá, era uma situação estranha. ENFIM, adorei e recomendo.

[Bianca Mori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea and Damon are screwed up but I love them.

No, really. What makes this book (and its companion novella Wedding Night Stand) so compelling to me is its portrayal of two people, who are smart, and flawed (and know just how flawed they are, because smarts), and get together in a less-than-ideal way--and yet find their own path to Happily Ever After. How they get there is well earned, and true to the characters, with no shortcuts or sappy, history-erasing Big Moments. So, so, so good.

The writing is sharp and infinitely quotable. Andrea is a hoot. The moment she tells Damon, "Am I the button holding up your pants?" I wanted her to be my BFF.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked how this started: the pattern of their meetings is both cartoon-y and filmic, obviously intentional, yet mundane and fluttery. Tapered off from the middle hacking over some weak conflict, the shift in characters' demeanors coming off disconnected, they were treated flatter and more stereotypical compared to liberal, round characterization at the beginning. Damon became paranoid, Andrea unconvincingly narrated the dilemma, Geraldine and Thad felt forced to play a slightly more evil role all of a sudden. Sayang.

[trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

yk I did like it and I liked them as characters. the ending was a tad bit rushed and I didn’t like that he was still tempted by geraldine as realistic as it may be and maybe I would’ve liked him to chase andrea a bit more ? it felt as though he threw in the towel a bit prematurely but honestly I get why

[April ~ The Reading Belles · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.***

Originally posted at b i n i b i n i

ONCE AGAIN, MINA V. ESGUERRA DELIVERED TO HER HOMEGROWN (AND INTERNATIONAL!) AUDIENCE AND MADE ME WANT MORE WITH WHAT YOU WANTED.

What You Wanted is everything I never thought I would like. Maybe it’s because Damon and Andrea started on a weird footing with their one-night stand stuff on the wedding of Andrea’s sister. I was never a fan of that because it’s just too awkward but reading about it is another thing, right? Mina’s Wedding Night Stand (where Damon and Andrea started) was OK for me. So here we are now!

Damon. I loved him because I mean what’s not to love? He’s such a nice guy, funny at times, has boy-next-door vibe and he kind of already knew what he wanted, how much he wanted Andrea, even just from the beginning. Plus, I loved that he was just always there for Andrea, you know? Like, one call/text from Andrea, count on him to be there—anytime, anywhere. He’s that kind of guy. Now, I feel like hugging him again. I also loved how much he knew things about Andrea—things that even her family doesn’t know about her. He’s also kind of perfect because he wasn’t carrying some ugly baggage from the past that could taint whatever he had with Andrea. Ohh wait! There was one! More on that later.

Andrea. I admit I didn’t like her in the beginning because she’s inconsistent. Like she didn’t know who to pick between her one-night stand fling Damon or her best friend/kind of ex, but not really an ex, Thad. (You know which team I’m on, right?) Because apparently, she had feelings for Thad but Thad being himself, after what happened to the trip that only the of them knew, settled down with another woman. (What. A. Dick.) And by the way, Andrea stupidly thought there was something going on between her and Thad after that trip. But other than that, she’s one of my favorite heroines out there because not all people could be, could act, like her. She had this What you think of me is none of my business. If I know, you’re just freaking jealous vibe that makes me think she’s the epitome of a #ConfidentlyBeautiful woman. I mean, she seemed a little bit lost at times because that’s what false hopes do to you but overall, even when she had her fair share of one-night stands even before and that may come a little off to others, she just didn’t let that go to her head. She’s the kind of person who faces her own fears with her head up high (and maybe even flips her hair and sashays her hips like she’s Miss Universe), doesn’t back down to challenges and listens to what her family says. Well, mostly. And I admire her for that. Her bond with her sister Julie, is also another thing that I love. They’re complete opposite when it comes to relationships but I love that the respect between them is very present. Julie does what she does and so does Andrea. They may not like the decisions of one another but they are not the kind of people who force things to one another just because they’re sisters.

Damon and Andrea together is just too perfect. The love they had wasn’t something instant but it was there and still took them by surprise. Well, at least for Andrea. It was just a shame that she couldn’t see that at first because of Thad and Geraldine, the woman Damon went after for two years. But I’m so thankful that Mina throw them both out there to make things a little dramatic. Geraldine. I never liked her but after learning what she went through, I get it. I perfectly understood where she’s coming from. (In my opinion, she may even deserve her own book. Hi Mina! Haha!) But Thad. His sorry ass may rot in hell and I wouldn’t even give a damn. Like I said, our main characters are already perfect but the presence of those two secondary characters was placed perfectly to bring out the conflicts of the story. And that’s another factor of a good book, right? Conflict and how they could make or break things. In this case, it made things well.

What You Wanted is the perfect blend of choosing what and who matters, simple and complicated, light and heavy all at once. Both Andrea and Damon deserved their HEAs.

I would’ve complained to the lack of steamy scenes on this book and at first, I wondered why, but after putting the book down because I was done reading it, I realized why. That sudden realization made me think of just how amazing Mina has progressed in honing her craft. I mean, her Manila/Philippine-based books stay true to its setting and overall feel. You will read about that a lot in her local-based books. The same thing goes for her US-based books which are, well, you know… so freaking hot. But that just shows Mina’s talent to bring out the uniqueness of every book she writes. You read her Chic Manila books, then you get fade-to-black, nothing too explicit sex scenes because Philippines would never be… Western-ish. But then if you’re into really hot, you’ll need a fan books, well, she has Addison Hill series for that. Don’t you just love how wide her selections now for different target readers? I freaking love it! That just solidifies that Filipino authors can. And I couldn’t be more proud of them right now.

[Marian Rosary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before anything else btw, it would totally help reading Wedding Night Stand before What You Wanted. (For context on how Damon and Andrea met. It is included in Summer Feels: a #romanceclass anthology. 😉)
Review to come when I finally get my thoughts sorted out.

[Ara · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I can say is, swoooon! I love how this is set in Makati, making it much easier for me to picture out everything. I loved the characters (um, except for Geraldine) and every. single. scene! I never wanted this book to end!!

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored Andrea with her I can handle it attitude. This book really shows how strong and mature you need to be to seem all carefree and fun. Cute/hot romance too.