Promdi Heart

by Georgette S. Gonzales, Agay Llanera, Chris Mariano

Take a quick tour of the Philippines with six hometown love stories.

Visit Jimenez, Misamis Occidental where a priest might just set you up with a man whose dimples are to die for.

Visit Silay, Negros Occidental and get on a horse alongside hunky, hazel-eyed Negrense royalty.

Visit Kalibo, Aklan and find yourself in the arms of a cute drummer boy who just happens to be your kuya's BFF.

Visit Hagonoy, Bulacan and spend All Saint's Day next to a distracting boy who promises to write you a song.

Visit Vigan, Ilocos Sur and meet the hot man you used to bully when he was a shy, chubby boy.

Visit Pundaquit, Zambales and find love in a bronzed fisherman whose eyes hold depths you'll want to explore

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Anthologies

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2017

About the author

Georgette began writing novels as Edith Joaquin of My Special Valentine Tagalog (Filipino) Romance pocketbooks, published by Bookware Publishing Corp. She started writing in English and self-pubbing works in the middle of 2015.
Gette works best at night, is also an editor, a public/media relations consultant, loves to cook pasta dishes and to eat caramel cake.

Reviews

[Yna from Books and Boybands · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and fluffy delight.

I was in the mood for something short yet filled with love and this group of #romanceclass authors gave me the loving that I was yearning for. Full review to be posted soon.

[Binibining `E (of The Ugly Writers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Signed up for the Blog Tour and received an ARC (epub copy) of this anthology in exchange for an honest review.

It is my first time joining a Blog Tour so I don’t have any idea how it works but I totally have a gist on how it’s being done. My curiosity about joining a blog tour spark up when I saw this soon to be published book Promdi Heart, because it is a romanceclass I had to sign up for the blog tour and of course these authors are the foundation of #romanceclass I need to read this anthology. They have provided me a copy of the book with a very beautiful cover by the way, you need to read it and post an honest review within the dates April 17-21, 2017 but you can go ahead and post your reviews anytime. Before I start reading this I already have a feeling that it will spark something in me I know that it can definitely make my heart skip a beat, make me cry like a baby, make me feel something I haven’t feel in years. I have to be ready with all the feels and I know even if I am ready, all the feels from reading this book will definitely hit me. I will be reviewing this anthology per story.

1/6 – Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi

This is the first of the six and OMG it really live up to its expectation, for me at least! My Heart was very full right now. I super love the story. It is very light, sweet and yes very relatable. I knew from the start that destiny has work its magic towards Andi and Martin, also don’t forget the Tita and Father, I can feel that they’re up to something. Grabe si Father mangasar! I adore him. I love how their relationship has evolve. Their banter was just too cute, my feels when they do that is overflowing it’s just sweet and not overacting or overrated. I really think that Andi truly deserves to find someone like Martin, I know that she is a good person and doesn’t need anyone who will just treat her bad. I feel her pain. On the other hand Martin, how I feel about him okay, Martin is just pure sincerity and warmth. In him, there is no rushing and eagerness. I imagined his aura and it is very positive, true, pure and happy. I feel so attached with their story. Reading it makes me warm inside, it puts a smile on my face and it makes my heart dance in happiness. Ay nako Dai and puso ko!



2/6 – Letters About A Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao

This somewhat reminds me of my high school days, Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley High are the bomb during my high school time. Okay, I can totally relate to Tin-tin now. But Irish Coffee and Biscuit! What a perfect match just like Nicolas and Tin-tin. I don’t know but this story reminds me of my high school days, the letters we write for our friends, the stories we tell them in our long letters and of course the revelation of feelings for our long time crushes. Who knew that these letters will remind us of ourselves. Tin-tin’s letters to Annette has keep me smiling all the way even if some letters was a bit sad I still enjoy her stories, raves and rants. She is very kind and sweet and her love for her hometown was just beyond and amazing. And oh Nicolas what took you so long to realize that! His letter to Tin-tin oh gosh it was perfect, while reading it my heart ache and tears are welling up in my eyes but it was lovely. I was afraid that things won’t work well for them. The way the story was written was just brilliant, I like the idea and I love how well it was put together even though it was written in Tin-tin’s POV, but damn! Nicolas letter though? Brilliant and Heartwarming!!



3/6 – Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano

This one! Set in Aklan, and yes I have seen the words Iloilo, Piyaya, Inasal OMG! OMG! The characters? These are my people. And how excited I am to read about Ati-Atihan and all the festivities and yes the food. I was ecstatic because I am so familiar with the food. Okay so on with my thoughts. I adore Reina and Ben, they’re just so true with themselves. I mean there is no pretending and they just grab the opportunity to be with each other. At some point in the story I was a bit concerned with Ben and his relationship with his father, at times I just wanted to give him a hug! The story however, really does happen. I think this is the reality, the struggle of Ben with being a drummer boy and his passion with his band, also his feelings for Reina which he had kept for so long because for all we know he is best friends with Reinas’ older brother. I love their story, the complication of it makes it more exciting, their eagerness to be with each other and the sacrifices they do for each other was just overwhelming. I can just feel their love for each other and it touched me in some ways. Again I wanted to hug Ben, I feel that he really needs someone who will be there for him, who will fight for him and who will stick with him no matter what. And Reina, she is just a ray of sunshine I adore her guts and her aura was just so positive. So much love for them.



4/6 – One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria

Okay this story was unexpected for me. The ending? That I didn’t expect and it hurt me. But of course that’s the way things work for Son and Alice, maybe it would be better that way for them but dang! I’m a sucker for happy endings haha. I love how a friendship unfolds during All Saints’ Day, it was refreshing to see how a friendship blooms from two people with different personality, different lifestyle and how they manage to keep in touch with each other after and of course there is the unreturned feelings. I admired Alice for being so brave with her feelings (with the help of the alcohol of course haha!?) but nevertheless she is very strong and very vocal i guess but of course when we do these kind of things we cannot expect anything in return and I love how she was able to accept it even though of course it would hurt her. And Son, gosh when a boy tries to write a song for you? who would not like him noh? I would haha i feel i am a very special human being. Who would not feel kilig and in love when someone writes a song for you. I just wish you know that in the near future there is a future for them hihi. Over all I like this story, a story about acceptance and rejection, it is a reality and I know we can all relate to what happened in the end. Yes? I have so much feels for this one.



5/6 – Once Upon a Bully by Georgette S. Gonzales

Yes Vigan! And hell yes to Miguel. This story is one of my favorites in this anthology. OMG Ms. Georgette you just don’t know how their story gives me all the right feels! I super love Miguel, I love his attitude, his outlook in life, there is no bad blood for him and I think he’s just perfect, he is so gentle and oh my I just want to give him hugs all the time. He is so darn adorable. Bridgette oh Bridgette, she was this bully girl but I know she is one for a reason. I knew it, she must have had a crush for Miguel that’s why she was like that with him ever since, but i felt sad though for the way he treated the chubby Miguel but yeah I know she’s sorry for all the things she did to him. When you’re still a kid sometimes it is just hard to admit to your friends that the person you always pester is the one you have always liked. I feel you there! But all is well though and the food, you can never go wrong with empanada and bagnet. The setting of the story was very appropriate, very timely, the story itself I love it! I’ve been to Vigan and I just can’t wait to come back again, but I know that when that time comes I’ll be thinking of Miguel and Bridgette and just fall in love with them all over again.



6/6 – Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera

And yes to the setting. And yes yes yes to Wency. I love Wency. Heartwarming, Selfless, Hardworking and just pure. Isn’t it amazing how when you have a strong personality and yet someone just makes you melt and makes you feel that all things will work out fine, that’s how Wency is. I guess he is someone who you can share everything with and will not judge you for what you do. I just feel it in him and I love his personality. I wouldn’t change anything about him. His attitude towards life and other people is amazing. For me he is a breath of fresh air. On the other hand Leah, I was not a fan of her attitude, maybe because I think city life has changed her in some ways and the way she responded to people’s treatment toward her are just different but I do think that only Wency can manage her or can totally understand her and can make her feel important in just simple ways. Wency definitely makes my heart skip a bit with every word, with every move and with every love he has. And also I think that really they are good for each other, they’re the yin and the yang, they fill each other’s emptiness without them knowing it. And yes to friends to lovers trope! I wish there would be more from them. I would love to hear their adventures together. One would really complement each other.



These romanceclass anthologies are to die for, just the same with the book covers they are always lovely and beautiful. They can make you fall in love, they can make you cry and laugh but most of all they can make you hungry! haha hungry for love and for food. The food in these beautiful places are to die for, they are mouthwatering and fulfilling. Add to these the amazing places we have here in the Philippines. It is just so overwhelming to read about these places that most of us doesn’t have any idea about their festivities, their food and their beautiful sceneries. Truly that is one of my goals to travel and visit all our local provinces and I think that our country is just so beautiful it is an awesome feeling to fall in love here. Just kudos to all of these lovely writers, I love all your stories as I’m a sucker for this kind of feels eh mostly stories that can make me cry, laugh and fall in love all at the same time and I am just happy to get to know romanceclass authors and their books. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful stories to us and I am looking forward to read more from you. My feels for this book will remain for a very long time, if I get to visit these hometown of yours someday I will definitely be thinking of you and these awesome characters and stories you have shared with me. This definitely deserves 5 stars. All my kisses to all of you. I would definitely and would highly recommend this anthology to other readers. Please keep on writing more of these stories.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

 I knew hard it is to pull a short story but these authors did it! It is overwhelming how these short stories can give you so much feels. A good thing about this book was, even if each story has limited pages, the stories doesn’t feel any less. Showcasing different province and culture in the Philippines is a good setting, this made me know more about our beloved country. I am craving for more from this book that I wish each title included will have their own novel, I felt that it would be fantastic!

Why do this book have so much food? I craved. This book is a great read. I would recommend this to all of you if you are looking for a light read and short stories. This is worth my time. I enjoyed reading it.


Check out my full review on my blog!

https://kathleenlovesbooks.wordpress....

[laura (bbliophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank the authors of this anthology for sending me an e-ARC of Promdi Heart. I really appreciate it.

I usually don’t really like anthologies, especially romance one’s. I need time to get to know the characters before I feel invested in their story, and before I can really root for their romance. However, I actually ended up liking Promdi Heart!

Every story had something I liked. The first story had a very cute love interest with dimples, the second story was written in letter form and took place over the course of a few years, so you could really see the character growth. The third story had one of my favorite tropes (brother’s best friend), and the fourth one took place during All Saint’s Day, which I loved learning about. The fifth story had a very kind hearted and cute love interest, and the sixth story had my favorite setting of all of these stories.

However, there were also a few things I didn’t enjoy that much. Words like ‘crazy’ and ‘lunatic’ are used in ableist ways, and one story includes a bully falling in love with the person she bullied. This story felt very icky, because the love interest tells her ‘we were just kids, you were just teasing’ which feels very dismissive of people who were bullied as a kid and who have really been scarred by it.

The thing I loved most about this stories is the overall exploration of culture, and the differences between all of the different hometowns. I loved reading about the food (which did make me incredibly hungry, so that was a bit of a downside, haha), the things that are celebrated and, often times, the family relationships. It’s something that’s very unique to this anthology, and definitely makes it stand out.

Overall, Promdi Heart is a very enjoyable and fun read, which is perfect for a hot summer’s day. But there are a few things, like the ableist language, that you might want to watch out for.

[kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this to those who hesitate to read romance, for those who want to travel by page around this beautiful country and finally, for those who still need convincing that, why, yes, romance might just be more fun in the Philippines.

Read the rest of my review on Bookbed.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued when I heard about this anthology, and had to sign up for an ARC.

I've really loved reading already released and some upcoming romance class books (i'm slowly trying to work my way through the ones already out there) so I was pretty interested in this one as it features six stories set in six different provinces in the Philippines. I review each story below.

**Only the Beginning By C. P. Santi

First things first, the hero has dimples! i'm a sucker for them ok :) Dimples aka Martin and Andi first meet when she basically interrupts his speech with her outburst at a meeting, and they meet again when she’s visiting her dad’s grave.

I love how aspects of the culture are revealed in there. Andi goes to visit her dad’s grave and we get this nugget of info:

“I wore Nanay’s ring— the one with a diamond in the middle— because it was common knowledge that the sparkle of precious stones kept evil spirits at bay.”

Now Andi and Martin have to work together. She as his liaison and the reaction to this is priceless. My fave thing ever is watching budding relationships through text messages. I love that! Because this is my reality. If someone went back through all my texts you would certainly see the growth of my relationships with people who became great friends, or more ;) There was banter and cuteness in ample supply between these two! My fave things :D

As their relationship grows, so too does Andi find the connection with her province rekindled.

“It was fascinating. I’d lived in Jimenez most of my life, but I was seeing it with fresh eyes.” “All those little things I’d taken for granted had helped shape me.”

This definitely made me want to get to know my island more, and just take some days, a few weekends even and explore. Because sometimes we never see the gems that are right there until we see it through another's eyes. I really enjoyed this. A really cute read.

Also, if you've read this author's story in the Maybe This Time antho, this little gem will make you cackle, for reasons

“Caught Tonying and Rina here before too.” Father Danny strikes again LOL


**Letters About A Boy By Ines Bautista-Yao

Told in written letters format this story is about Tin-Tin’s crush on Nicolas. Through the letters Tin-Tin writes to her cousin Annette we see the passing of time: as she’s at college, graduates etc Even though it's her cousins she's writing to, it still had this great pen pal feel to it, as after emails become a thing Tin still enjoys actually penning her letters.

We get to see Tin and Nicolas living their own lives, in different places, sometimes their lives intersects when they return home but it’s only after Tin has to return to her province (Bacolod) to take care of her mother that they truly reconnect. Nicolas is back too, working on the horse farm and it’s almost like he’s seeing her in a new light for the first time. Noticing little things.

I'll admit Nicolas only started to grow on me then. Before I wasn’t sure of him, as I couldn’t see the connection right off. They were off living their own lives after all, but the horse ride, his singing. He took Tin’s mom to her therapy session (*cue me falling hard) it’s really the little gestures that seal the deal for me. Finally we get to see just what made Tin like him so much. :)

It was pretty funny the more confident Nicolas gets in winning Tin over, the more frazzled she becomes. Poor Tin hehhee. And then we get Nicolas’ POV too! via his letter to Tin listing all the things he loves about her, and that was that. An adorable friends to more story.



**Drummer Boy By Chris Mariano

Reina runs into Ben at the Ati-Atihan festival and...

"Her brother’s best friend was incredibly tall..."
Another thing i'm a sucker for the bro's best friend trope so this hooked me immediately, and we get hints that maybe there was some sort of flirtation there years ago at her 18th birthday. So right off I wanted to know more about these two.

We get to learn these intriguing details about the festival and it reminded me of our Carnival with its street music and crowded streets. I love how the festival itself felt like this other character, after all it's pretty central to Reina’s and Ben’s story.

This one was fun and colourful and hilarious, especially when Reina's brother basically invites himself along to the date Ben had set up, thus throwing a little wrench into Ben's plans. Ben doesn't let that stop him though, and he manages to get the girl in the end anyhow ;)


**One Certain Day By Jay E. Tria

This one is set in Hagonoy and features All Saints’ Day and the boy next door trope. I swear all these tropes are my faves :D

Here we get to learn about how the dead are mourned. I love seeing this tradition unfold, learning the little tidbits about it

“It’s weird isn’t it? How someone’s death can bring people together.”
This resonated with me. I have a large family and most times we only all come together when someone passes.

So all Saints’ becomes Alice and Son’s thing. They sit next to each other while their families hold their vigil and the deceased’s grave. I didn’t see that ending turning out the way it did but you know what? it worked. Not everything works out the way you hoped, but sometimes you just have to try and know. Alice took the plunge and kissed Son and while I was rooting for her, the fact that maybe friends is all they’ll be is good too. It didn’t ruin their friendship and I’m glad. Although, this is sort of a look at young Son’s life, and while I haven’t read the novels with him and his band yet I see Son’s story hasn’t yet been told. Maybe there’s hope for these two yet? >.>


**Once Upon A Bully By Georgette S. Gonzales

Hot new neighbour that turns out to be old classmate? Yes please. BUT it turns out Bridgette used to bully poor Miguel years ago. We get to see this via a flashback. One that had me cringing because we know how cruel children can be at times and Bridgette was awful to him basically tormented this poor kid.

Bridgette agonized over what she'd done all those years ago and was rightfully embarassed when they met face to face again but Miguel, oh Miguel stole my heart for sure

“He stared at her like they had just met and that he was waiting to get to know her. No anger, no judgement, no bitterness. And it was that last bit that got to her.”

I was glad we get Miguel’s POV as well. He held no ill will for Bridgette and in fact had a crush on her. I loved him because he isn’t this self-assured, confident guy with women. He’s so awkward, stammering around B while trying to ask her out. I loved that! Awkward heroes are also my kryptonite. ;) More awkward heroes please and thanks!



**Back to the Stars By Agay Llanera

Child hood friend trope. Another fave. (These authors are in my head with these trope i swear !!) And yup this story has to be my fave in the whole anthology. No I know it is! It is my fave for sure!

My word, the author’s writing style, i loved it so much! Descriptive with some really great lines, I wanted to highlighted so many things:

“It was as if the sun had missed me too much, and it couldn’t help planting kisses on my skin.”
Again i found myself falling for the love interest. Wency was truly a great character. Definitely my top guy out of all the ones in this anthology.

“He had a way of quieting the storms inside me without saying word. Just his presence— solid and steady— was enough.”
He was so sweet and kind. I really adored this guy.

I have to admit Leah got on my nerves, especially where Corinne was concerned so I was glad Wency called her out for calling Corinne “that man-crazy airhead.” Wency said she’s changed, and she has had to, to keep up with the Manila pace I guess. But in spite of that I did think they fit.

And that ending, so good, so perfect. I really wished this story were longer lol

Overall i really liked this antho. There were aspects of each story I enjoyed, some more than others but a really interesting, fun read

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promdi Heart is a collection of 6 short stories featuring heroines returning from Manila to their hometowns. Overall, this anthology gives off a warm, gentle vibe that really evokes the notion of a homecoming. This book was a great way to start August!

✈️ Only the Beginning by CP Santi - Set in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. This one was my favorite! Not only was it a cute beginning to a great love story. It also features historical and cultural conservation which is a topic that I adoooore.

✈️ Letters About a Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao - Set in Silay, Negros Occidental. Childhood best friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, especially when it involves the one who fell last falling even harder! This one even has an added element of nostalgia because of the letter-writing format.

✈️ Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano - Set in Aklan, Kalibo. Another favorite! Musicians, future plans, the MC and LI learning to be partners in the truest sense of the word. Also, a totally nakakakilig kiss at the end!

✈️ One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria - Set in Hagonoy, Bulacan. This one has a bittersweet, melancholy ending. But it’s not less beautiful and poignant, especially since it’s set during the celebration of Undas.

✈️ Once Upon a Bully by Georgette Gonzales - Set in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Unfortunately, this is one of the stories in this anthology I disliked because I just can’t vibe with bully/bullied romance.

✈️ Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera- Set in Pundaquit, Zambales. Warm and thought-provoking. This one really reminds you to look back at where you came from, in the words of the indomitable Dr. Jose Rizal. Where and who we came from form the foundation of who we are today. It’s important to never forget that.

Check out more on my bookstagram or my blog!

[Mayumi Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

PromdiHeart is the kind of book that can very effectively showcase our beautiful country and its multi-cultural diversity and lure both tourists and expats to come here through the power of romance literature.

Each story brought out several endearing features of its setting, from the food, to the dialect spoken, to the provincial folks and their traditional way of life, even the architecture - woven into the universal language of love through the story-telling of six romantic relationships.

Distinctly Filipino, the stories were not the familiar instalove plots in today's modern romance books. Instead, love bloomed and developed between two people through the passage of time as well as occasions of togetherness and separation. No steamy, naughty or tease-ful scenes here. Delightfully, you'll find skillfully executed plays of words which tug deep at the heartstrings, creating a profound longing for a particular provincial setting while not lacking on adequate swoon levels.

I love that the women were not the timid, push-over, soft-spoken doormats usually associated with typical Filipina provincial girls. Instead, they were smart, strong-willed, assertive girls who speak their mind without being bad-mannered (except for Hugot girl in one instance which is completely understandable :-) and yet have a full grip of their emotions.

I love the guys too. Except for Son. But I expect he'll come around and realize it's always been Alice for him -- give or take a year or two. :-)

Out of all the stories, my favorite is Only the Beginning, Andi's story written with humor and wit. The pacing was steady, the main characters relatable, the back story involving cultural mapping relevant and timely. It was a great start to pique interest for the succeeding stories which did not disappoint as well.

For the sake of our country's tourist promotion and rekindling of nationalistic feels among us Filipinos, may this breed of romantic stories multiply.

I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

[Lynai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back To The Stars by Agay Llanera would be my top favorite story in this compilation. I like Leah’s feisty character. Hers is a story of growing up, stepping out of the comfort zone, wading in uncertain waters, and eventually finding her self and the things that really matter — but not without a little help from a hunk fisherman. 😉

Complete review at It's A Wonderful Bookworld.

[Katt Briones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology just hits you in all the right spots, making you miss places and memories of your hometown and at the same time giving you a glimpse of what the culture and food are like in other parts of the country. It reminded me of how rich the country's heritage is as well. The stories made me want to visit all the featured towns and places. Aside from all the feels (tears, kilig, and sometimes secondhand embarrassment from the dyahe moments!), I found it very educational also. I'd definitely recommend it not only to those whom I know are from the featured provinces, but to those who have not yet traveled outside the city, because this book will make them realize what they had been missing out on.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promdi Heart: Hometown Love Stories is a collaboration between 6 awesome romance class authors and which brings us to different provinces in the Philippines. Each story beautifully written by each author. Every word never fails to make me squeal in kilig, smile and laugh out loud at each antics, and also tear-up at some points. Also this book made me want to visit each provinces that were mentioned, making me proud that there's so many beautiful places in our country that you can visit. Another anthology worth reading and buying a copy for indeed!

[Rachelle Belaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted in my blog.

[Olivia Chanel's Stories in Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the authors for my e-arc of Promdi Heart. I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book early!

Promdi Heart is a cute anthology with short stories from six different authors. There were lots of romantic moments I enjoyed. However, there were a few issues I had with a few of the stories, which is why I have a hard time deciding where between 3 and 4 stars my rating lands. I think the most accurate rating is 3.5 stars but I do think my favorite stories of the anthology were worth a very strong 4 stars. I would definitely recommend this anthology, especially if you love #romanceclass, but I would warn you that the word crazy and lunatic are used in an ableist way in two of the stories and that in one of the stories a bully falls in love with her victim, and though it’s resolved it’s still something potential readers should be aware of. I love how food and culture were woven into all of the stories, and it even made me a little hungry at times, so I think people will really appreciate that.

Only the Beginning by C. P. Santi

Only the Beginning is a cute and romantic short story. I thought it was lovely to see Andi and Martin get to know each other. We see their friendship and relationship grow through their regular meetings and through texts, which was a nice way to show time passing. The story is a typical enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that I know many will appreciate. I enjoyed that we got to see so much about the city of Jimenez, its culture, and rich food. There were a lot of Filipino expressions and names I did not know, but that made me that much more eager to want to look it up and find out. Also, all the talk about donuts gave me a craving. I thought the whole part with “choose your own happiness” part could have been done differently since not everyone can choose their happiness due to mental illness and whatnot. I understand what the author wanted to say but it could have been expressed differently.

Letters About a Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao

I liked how Letters About a Boy was a story told in a sequence of letters throughout many years. Slowly through the letters, we get to know Tin-Tin and Nicolas and how their relationship evolves. At times, the letters felt a bit too one-sided for real life, but it worked well in this story. In this story, there was some electric moments between Tin-Tin and Nicolas, as well as some cliché scenes that I know romance lovers will squeal over. However, I thought the ending felt too rushed and that one or two extra letters between the second to last two would have made it feel more natural in the grand scheme of things. I wanted Nicolas to woo Tin-Tin a bit more before they got their happily ever after because she really deserved it. Other than that, the ending was adorable and funny and fit the story perfectly.

Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano

Drummer Boy together with One Certain Day were my favorite stories in the anthology. Drummer Boy was filled with culture and music that will make any reader fall in love. The story is sexy, cute and I loved how the characters already had a backstory, which is a lot better when you’re thrown into a short story since you don’t need to spend unnecessary time on the “getting to know each other” part of the story. The relationship had real buildup and the trope younger sister falls in love with big brother’s best friend is strong in this one. This trope is one of my favorite ones. There are a lot of moments where you will swoon over the couple and love how romantic their entire story is. I love how the characters in this ship are really there for each other through everything, which is damn lovely.

One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria

One Certain Day is a story that is centered on one holiday, All Saint’s Day, every year and the interaction that happens between Jose and Alice. In the story, there is banter and a growing friendship between the two. It becomes very clear that despite them not meeting each other often, they speak regularly and have a real connection. I love how All Saint’s Day and the sense of family was such a big part of the story. I love books with a focus on family and this short story really delivers in a genuine way. The attraction between the characters is subtle and adorable, to be honest. I love how the ending was not a typical “and they lived happily ever after” but more bittersweet and realistic, making you wish for more.

Once Upon a Bully by Georgette S. Gonzales

Once Upon a Bully is the story about Bridgette and Miguel. Bridgette used to bully Miguel in elementary school before his parents died and he moved out of town. Later in life after many years they are both back in town and neighbors at that as well. I’ll admit, the idea of a romance between a bully and the one who was bullied honestly set me off right away. It’s not something that should be taken lightly and I hate it felt that way at times in this story. Miguel brushed the entire thing off because he was bullied by a girl and they were just kids, which didn’t sit right with me. However, Bridgette did apologize to Miguel and they were very sweet together, with a chemistry between them that is very apparent, which is why I still found the story enjoyable. The word crazy was used in an ableist way twice in the short story so be aware of that.

Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera

Back to the Stars is an enchanting short story and had the most amazing vibes. I loved that the story mostly took place by the ocean and that open starry nights played a large role in this couple’s story. This story has everything I love about romance. Wency was Leah’s closest childhood friend, they always spent summers together growing up, and he has been in love with her for years when she finally comes back to Pundaquit. This story has a lot of lovely themes that I enjoyed. It’s about growing up, what it means to change and still hold on to the things that matter. This couple is really swoon-worthy, I love Wency and think he’s probably my favorite love interest from the entire anthology. He was that amazing. The one alarming part of the short story was when Leah called her boss Luna, as in lunatic, which is ableist.

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I JUST DEVOURED AND LOVED EACH STORY. FULL REVIEW IS DONE AND WILL BE POSTED SOON!

[claridge | booknomnom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also available in my blog, along with pre-order links!

I’m not really great with anthologies. I always feel uprooted whenever a short story ends and disconcerted when a new one begins. But to my surprise, Promdi Heart delivers beautifully in how I find closure and a thirst to learn more about the people and the places in the stories.

The collection starts with C.P. Santi’s Only the Beginning. As a fledgling #romanceclass reader, I am so happy to discover C.P. Santi’s works because they’re just my cup of tea. And her short story about bad first impressions and the richness of a culture a small town in Mindanao has given me the itch to travel to Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. The town was painted with a rustic touch but a sincerity in its people that perfectly complements the story-telling.

Ines Bautista-Yao’s Letters to a Boy is as surprising as this whole collection is. Again, I’m a little impatient for this style of stories–the one told in letters and missives although they are really fascinating. But god, I adored every letter. I’ve been to Silay and Bacolod recently and reading about the rich Negrense culture, with its quaint and picturesque town and the kind people who yes, they almost have a circle of the socially affluent family which borderlines royalty, is just so enticing. This is the royalty trope I’ve been wanting to read. I’d read more of this, to be honest.

Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano is the the big-brother’s-bestfriend trope that everyone loves. I love it even better because it managed to show us the preps and the hows in the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. I don’t think anyone past elementary school has not heard of this festival, and to be honest, I wasn’t really sure what happens at the festival. Street dancing, maybe. But this story showed how dedicated some families are in keeping up with this tradition. Sometimes, we may feel trapped and weak against the expectations of continuing traditions, but here is a perspective of acknowledging this fact and realizing how important some obligations are. And I really liked that fresh perspective.

We can skip Jay E. Tria’s One Certain Day because I hate Son’s ill timing and I just want to hug Alice. I mean, I live in Guiguinto, which is just three towns away from Hagonoy. I can go to Alice’s house and hug the shit out of her and just glare at Son’s nearby house. I’ll even rat him out to his parents. I hated Son here. I feel so invested in this story and god, the feelings are delivered. I feel so raw after reading it. There better be a book for Son, Jay!

Georgette Gonzales’s Once Upon a Bully was very uncomfortable to read and only because of the elementary kid bullying another kid gig. It was a great read that showcased the beauty of Ilocano language and dishes that made me want to go to Vigan! It also made me want to look for long-lost elementary classmates, in case anyone aged fine. (I do have a story to tell here, but maybe for a personal post some other time.) Because of this story, I was inspired to schedule a trip to Vigan before I leave the Philippines.

Lastly, Agay Llanera’s Back to the Stars was a nice ending for the book collection. I love how the main character has transformed into a cynical Manila girl who realizes just how much she’s changed and not for the better. I really loved the full circle feel of it – from her struggles as a girl from the (promdi, in its every sense) province and coming back as a Manila Girl. You will never really get a sense of happiness when you keep on measuring yourself against the standards of society.

Leah felt ill-fitted in Manila as a promdi girl, and coming back to Pundaquit, she is haunted by this outcast status. In the short time of her visit (and the story’s length), we find Leah finding peace about her roots, her place, and where she’ll be in the future. Wency is a precious cinnamon roll, so sincere and genuine. I love him. And I love how his sincerity and patience were exactly what Leah needed.

Overall, Promdi Heart is a nicely curated anthology of stories that will make you appreciate the diversity of Philippine Cultures. I love how this collection offers a view of the Philippines that we don’t see much and still offer fresh stories that needed to be told. To be honest, I was a little wary about how this collection would turn out. I tried reading this one book set in somewhere in the Philippines and I was just horribly disappointed at how detached and cookie cutter the plot was. I was afraid that the novel characteristics of the places would be compromised for the plot and I am so happy it didn’t go that way for this collection.

[Winter Aragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi: This is the second story that I read from Miss Caryn and I must say that you are one of the Filipino writers that I know that can really make my heart flutters upside down! I fell in love with your writing style when I read Dare to Love and in Only the Beginning, you let me deeply fall in love with your characters! Thank you for making me hungry with the pasalubongs. I want more donuts; I mean more Martin and Andy’s moments please!

Letters About A Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao: I commend Miss Ines with this story because she wrote it in the form of letters. There are only few dialogues and more narrative lines which are smart and cool. I definitely appreciate Nicolas and I admire Tin-Tin for not giving up. I’m still curious about Annette, though because I never heard her voice/part in the story. Hopefully, she also will be given a chance to have her own tale to remember.

Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano: When I read the opening of the story, I immediately transported right in the middle of Ati-atihan. The description of the festivity captured my imagination in an instant. It was incredible! Another highlight was the band audition and how bad that it was timed with the festival where Ben was needed. The rain scene also makes it difficult, but at the same time, sweet for Reina. Thank you for creating Reina and this lovely story, Miss Chris.

One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria: I was surprised that all of the holidays, All Saint’s Day is Alice’s favorites. Kinda weird, but when I read the reason behind it, I was amused with her. My heart was jumping and very much alive when Alice and Son were creating Call Your Baby. These two are very compatible in song writing. I’m heartbroken with the ending. I couldn’t move on until now. Yet, thank you that I felt it, Miss Jay. I totally would not forget Son and Alice. I ship them both and I still believe that they will be together at the right time.

Once Upon a Bully by Georgette Gonzales: I’m a fan of the ending of this story! I like it to the moon and back! My huge smile was plastered from the beginning until the end. I couldn’t contain my happiness while reading this first short story of Miss Georgette and I couldn’t help thinking if there is something more between the confession and being in a couple of Bridgette and Miguel. Perhaps, a stand alone novel soon?

Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera: I like the idea of two childhood friends who enjoy looking at the stars every night and dreaming of their future. It was a bit sad that somehow they did not connect so much that one chose to stay for the sake of the family and simple life while the other one went out to its comfort zone and soar high. Yet, at least in the end, they reconnect and lead to the right path for both of them. Stories with stargazing always amaze me. I have fun reading them, including this first story that I read from Miss Agay. I can picture Wency on my mind, on what kind of guy he really is and Leah, who is passionate about climbing to the top, yet she still feels incomplete. While reading back to the Stars, I almost want to hug Wency. For sure if he is a real person, can I also have him?

Thank you so much for the ARC and I'm really sorry that I posted my blog review very late. Congratulations to the six authors and their six wonderful and romantic stories that features the beautiful and scenic provinces in the Philippines.

[Bookbed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of our Recommended Reads! Read our post here.

PLUS! We interviewed all six authors of this anthology! Read our three-part feature series here.

Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
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[Anjeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promdi Heart (Hometown Love Stories) took me to a trip around the Philippines in the best way possible—via romance stories. As someone who grew up and spend most of my life in the metro, this anthology opened me up to the beauty of my own country with the guaranteed Happily Ever After in the end.

Story #1: Only the Beginning By C. P. Santi

"And despite all my forward-thinking, tough-girl bravado, there are times when all I want is a good, old-fashioned declaration of intentions. No assumptions. No missed cues. No interminable waiting game."

Set in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, Only the Beginning features a girl named Andi (who recently got her heart broken) and a guy named Martin (who's part of a project in Andi's hometown). The two got off to a rocky start when Andi had one of her Hugot outbursts.

With the help of Andi's very supportive friends and relatives and a priest (!!), the two got closer with each other. There's the good old landian (flirting) via text messages and corny jokes. And not to mention the food! THE FOOD! But are those enough? No. Because in the end, with Andi's prompting, Martin finally asked the question and made them official. Because sometimes, all we need is to ask (or to be asked) and hopefully, we can get the answer we wanted.

What makes this story even better for me is the distinct description of architectural designs of the places/landmarks mentioned in the book which what I call as the C.P. Santi touch. (Read her book Dare to Love!)

Story #2: Letters About A Boy By Ines Bautista-Yao

"Then when you stopped looking at me that way, I realized just how much I loved it, and how much I missed it. How I looked forward to it, how it made me feel special—because I was special to you. And I loved that. And I pray that this part of you hasn’t died. That it’s still in there somewhere. Because it’s what I need to find our happily ever after."

Set in Silay, Negros Occidental, Letters About A Boy is a story told by a series of letters penned by Tin-tin to her best Annette about her infatuation (turned to love) to the hunky, hazel-eyed Negrense royalty, Nicolas. Features horses and horseback riding too!

This one might be my favorite among the stories featured in this anthology. I adore little bookworm Tin-tin and the grown up romance-loving Tin who prioritize her family among all things. Stories told via series of letters just fascinate me. It was amazing how the author captured the growth of the character in the way she expresses her thoughts on the paper.

For the romance part, Tin pined for Nicolas for a long time. And this story showed me that yes, we can get over some of the unrequited feelings we have for someone, but there will be a small part of us that will always be soft for that one person but that doesn't mean that we're hoping for more.

And when the moment Nicolas realizes that he too, wanted to be with Tin, would it be enough just to declare it? No! Not only he had to show it by he actions but HE WROTE HER A LETTER TOO.

Story #3: Drummer Boy By Chris Mariano

"..Then maybe we’d stroll by the sea wall and get wet with the sea spray and drive home very, very carefully because by then I might be a little drunk on you."

Set in Kalibo, Aklan, Drummer Boy is a story that falls under Brother's Best Friend trope. Features Ati-atihan which I would love to witness one day!

This story falling under one of my favorite romance trope made me curious on how the characters, Reina, Dex (Reina's brother) and Ben (Dex's best friend) will deal with the change in dynamics in their relationship.

I was glad though that Ben was upfront to Dex with his intentions to his sister and that the story didn't revolve around Reina and Ben hiding their relationship. That older brother protectiveness on the first date (which Dex crashed) was a nice touch to the story which justifies the punch Ben received at the end.

What makes this story better was the fact that it generally revolved around the growth in both Reina and Ben and how they helped each other to be the better versions of themselves. Isn't that the point of being in a relationship?

Story #4: One Certain Day By Jay E. Tria

"I knew I wished for a different result—one that didn’t end with me wanting to bury my broken heart under the small patch of earth in the garden. But not all wishes came true, did they? I was already too old for fairy godmothers, and maybe a bit too young for happy ever-afters."

Set in Hagonoy, Bulacan, One Certain Day is a story about a girl but NOT the girl and a boy whom I wanted to hug and punch at the same time. But for reals, this story is about a girl named Alice who met a boy named Son during that one fine All Saint's Day.

The story started with Alice telling us that her favorite holiday is not Christmas but All Saint's Day (not to be confused with Halloween). I have to agree with Alice on this one. As someone who rarely spends time with relatives due to distance, I learned how to appreciate days like All Saint's Day where we have a reason to gather and remember our late relatives. There's also an anecdote in this story on how death brings everyone closer or apart which spoke volumes to me.

Back to Alice, during one of her family's vigil on her Lola's grave, Son, her neighbor and elementary school classmate which now studies in Manila (travels back to Hagonoy during holidays), approached her. And thus, their friendship started. It was all good. Son told Alice that he's in a band and as proof, he will write her a song. You think a cemetery is not a great place to start a friendship, right? No. Their friendship remained strong.. until Alice developed more-than-friends feelings for Son.

“My friend,” I added. I knew that was true, and I was glad it was real, though maybe it’s time to accept that a friend was all he would ever be.

I have so many feelings after I read this story but mostly, I felt like I needed an explanation from Son. You will too, once you read it. Luckily, by the time I posted this review, his book was already available. (Jay E Tria's Playlist Series Book #4 - Songs You Come Back To)

So, special shout out to Son! For what he did pushed me to read 3 books (Songs to Get Over You, Songs to Make You Stay and Songs You Come Back To) back to back until I reached his explanation.

Story #5: Once Upon A Bully By Georgette S. Gonzales

"She never noticed before, but he had the kindest eyes she had ever seen. He stared at her like they had just met, and that he was waiting to get to know her. No anger, no judgement, no bitterness. And it was that last bit that got to her"

Set in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Once Upon A Bully is a story of how Bridgette got acquainted with her new neighbor Miguel, who was also the little kid she used to bully when they were young.

Out of all the stories, this one I'm most familiar about for I was fortunate enough to tour Ilocos Sur before. As much as I enjoyed that mentions of places I've visited before and food that definitely on my favorite list (god, Vigan longganisa, bagnet, EMPANADA, bibingka and tinubong!), the flashback of little Bridgette bullying little Miguel hurts too. And being informed of what caused Miguel to move away just added to the pain.

I'm glad though that it was addressed in the book. That Miguel grew up to be a fine man and that Bridgette had the chance to apologize for what she did to Miguel. And to make it even better, they fell in love and finally found a home with each other.

The last part of this story was the best!

Story #6: Back to the Stars By Agay Llanera

"He had a way of quieting the storms inside me without saying word. Just his presence—solid and steady—was enough."

Set in Pundaquit, Zambales, Back to the Stars is a story of Leah who went back to her hometown for a fun weekend with workmates but ended up rekindling her friendship (and more) with her childhood friend, Wency.

What I like the most about this story is how it made Leah to look back on her roots. Because sometimes, people tend to forget where they came from and what lesson they can get from it. It was hard, when Wency called out Leah for the way she thinks about Corinne but it was necessary. For Leah has lost sight of what is important and of what she truly wanted. And Wency, oh boy, he who sacrificed so much for the sake of his family and he who never lose his hope for his friend, Leah.

Back to the Stars is the perfect story to end the anthology. It was a story of going back to the place where it all started and a place where you can start again.

Overall, Promdi Heart (Hometown Love Stories) is a book that I would highly recommend if you're looking for stories that perfectly capture the charm of some Philippine provinces, the beauty of falling in love and is also a great introduction for more #RomanceClass books.

[Miel Salva · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's impossible to read this in one sitting. At least that was the case for me. Because I needed at least a day to savor the new place my imagination took me to just by reading each short story, before I could turn the page and read another story set on a different location.

#PromdiHeart is not just an anthology of romantic stories. It can also be a travelogue that might come in handy should the reader who hasn't been in any of the locations described visit the places.

[Brain Tabs]

Promdi Heart is a compilation of six stories by different authors. It takes the reader on a quick tour of the Philippines with love stories featuring different hometowns.

Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi is an enemies to friends to lovers story. We get to know about Andi and Martin, who started on the wrong foot. Andi, deservedly tagged as hugot girl, had an outburst about being used when Manileño Martin discussed about the cultural mapping project for the town of Jimenez. They end up working together in the project and through banter and exchange of text messages, we see how their relationship blossoms. I mean, who can resist a funny guy with cute dimples and a pogi face in a wholesome, boy-next-door kind of way? Their flirting and banter was so enjoyable to read that I couldn't stop smiling as if I'm the one receiving all the cutesy messages.

Jimenez, Misamis Occidental is the setting of the story, and if you've read Tony and Rina's story from Maybe This Time, you'll be delighted to revisit it through Andi and Martin's eyes. We see Tony and Rina now happily married, and we meet the mischievous and funny priest, Father Danny, a couple of times again. Supporting characters like Gina and Alon were also worth mentioning. They were the kind of friends who'll tease you endlessly when your crush is around and the ones who will knock some sense when you're being silly. At one scene, Alon told Andi something that really struck me. He said, "Dai, thinking of the future is great and all. But you miss out a lot by not living in the now.”

This story had tidbits about cultural mapping, and I never realized tocino is regional. I also got that feeling of nostalgia when Andi saw her hometown with fresh eyes and she realized how it shaped the person that she is. Andi's musings about dating and relationships resonated with me so much I wanted to highlight the whole page.

Letters to A Boy by Ines B. Yao is a story about the joys and pains of first love. This was told through Tin-tin's letters to her cousin, Annette. The story starts in the early 90's and spans about 5-6 years. Annette is in Manila and Tin-tin writes from Bacolod. I've been to Bacolod years back and I loved how I can picture the place while reading this.

The story was simple, girl likes boy, boy likes another girl. They are friends and boy doesn't seem to notice the girl who had always been in front of him. Ines said this is in the same universe as When Sparks Fly and I'll make sure I read that soon.

I couldn't relate to Tin-tin, but I felt for her, especially when she said "I know firsthand how much it hurts when the one you want doesn’t want you back.” Unrequited love, araykobes. I'm a bit asar kay Nicolas. Dense na, pa-fall pa. Huhu.

But overall, this was a lovely story. Ines writes with so much innocence and this story simply pinched my heart.

Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano introduces us to Reina and Ben as they go about the different preparations and traditions for Ati-atihan in Aklan. Ben is the best friend of Reina's older brother and omg, I love this trope. I liked that they had history, that Ben liked Reina even before, but he had to respect Dex and their bro code. Eep. So cute.

Dex and his big brother protectiveness to Reina was also adorable. On the other hand, I felt bad for Ben coz his dad was just too hard on him. Ben's father wanted him to pursue his (father) interest and I thought that was just unfair. I liked how Reina encouraged Ben to chase after his own dreams of making his own music though. This girl had guts and she was firm in standing up for her choices in life. You go, girl!

One Certain Day by Jay E Tria - aka the girl who never fails to hurtt (double t because ganun kasakit, bes) me with her words. Jay always writes painfully beautiful stories and this one is no exception. If you've read her Playlist series, you would've met Jose Antonio Luis Castillo before, or simply called Son. We get to know more about him from Alice, who had been crushing on him from afar for quite a long time. They've studied in the same school in Hagonoy, until Son moved to Manila when he was in high school.

Alice and Son both had relatives who recently died so their meet-cute is at a cemetery, during All Saint's Day. Alice is a bit reserved, but I can just feel her kilig when Son chose to chat with her on their very first All Saint's Day together. Gahd, may paakbay-akbay pa! Since Son is already based in Manila, meeting on All Saint's Day became their tradition, their one certain day.

I recently lost someone dear to me too and I can attest to how true this remark from Son is,“When someone dies, they leave a space. A spot. A vacancy, if you will. The ones that remain hurry to fill it." And like what he told Alice, I guess I was lucky too, because people around me tried to be there for each other, instead of letting our blank space dissolve into nothingness.

Son did come on very strong that first meeting and I don't blame Alice for having more than just a crush on him after that. I swear I was smiling so widely while I was reading about it. Then Christmas came and he wrote her a freaking song! Who won't fall for that? I was like, where can I find a guy who will write songs for/about me? (That sounded narcissistic, but really, nag-order na ako for Jay and myself.)

I'm not gonna spoil anything anymore coz really, you'll want to read this story. But Jay E Tria MUST deliver on what she said - that Alice and Son will have a longer story, or else, magwewelga ako.

Once Upon A Bully by Georgette Gonzales tells the story of Bridgette and Miguel. I'm embarassed to say that I was like Bridgette in a lot of ways - I used to be a bully when I was younger, I want to stay here in the Philippines instead of migrating somewhere, bagnet is one of my picker-uppers and cleaning out stuff for me means moving my belongings around rather than getting them all in their proper places.

I didn't bully people just to make them cry though, like what Bridgette did to Miguel. I was more of a I'll-get-payback-from-snotty-boys-who-push-girls-around kind of bully. Miguel, unlike Bridgette and I, does not have a bully bone in his body though. He was such a sweet boy and I honestly don't know why he liked Bridgette when she was just plain cruel and awful to him. I can understand though that she's changed and that he was able to forgive her quickly. All's well in the end as they were able to bond by going around Vigan and trying out delicious empanadas, bibingka and tinubong (which I haven't tried). Goodness, I'm getting hungry again just by thinking of this.

Back to the Stars By Agay Llanera takes us to Pundaquit, Zambales. If you've joined the bandwagon the past couple of years, you would've been to one of the many coves in Zambales. Imagine those beaches, complemented by the wide, blue, starry sky as the backdrop for the story of Leah and Wency - two childhood friends who lost touch. While Leah and her well-off family moved to Manila, Wency was left behind, living simply and trying to improve his family's quality of life. I'm all for strong, ambitious, independent women, but something about Leah threw me off. Being in her head with all her messy thoughts was such a treat though. I loved how Wency made Leah realize things though and how she was humbled in the end.

Promdi Heart was such a delightful read! It was my first time to read works by Chris Mariano and Georgette Gonzales and I can't wait to check out their other stories. This beautifully-written stories also made my travel-deprived self feel like I've visited all the different places featured. We were given glimpses of how life is outside Manila and it all touched on how the metro has influenced the characters' lives. Each of the six stories has a different feel to it, and this shows not only how talented these authors are, but also how diverse our people is. We need more books like these and I hope more authors will be inspired to feature our different towns and provinces, traditions, and food in their works.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a probinsyana through and through, I was really happy with this collection of stories. It brought about so many childhood memories, tales of ligawan from cousins and friends, and maybe a few of my own. I love how the authors reminded me of the things I truly love about the probinsya life, that no matter what the glitzy and vibrant city life offers, I keep coming back here. To the province. To home. <3

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike other anthologies where some stories were dragging, Promdi Heart was very easy to read, everything was light-hearted and left me feeling happy. The stories captured the charm and laid-back feel of the provinces, making me feel like I was right there. Kudos to the authors for putting together an anthology that captured the charm of provincial Philippines and the feel-good romance that comes with it!

[Juri · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a probinsyana girl from the Philippines, it gives me joy whenever I read stories like these. Promdi Heart is a quick read for someone who is looking for light, fluffy romance. I loved all the stories in this anthology and it gave me a much-needed serotonin boost to start off the month! Much recommended! ✨

[nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was supposed to be for the Romanceclass readathon but I started late and finished late.

Son's story was definitely a fave. Can't wait to read his story (I have it but have not started yet 😋)

[Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story will transported you in different hometown at the Philippines, were mostly about their childhood and culture of each provinces. Though for me some story has cliffhanger. I hope they will have a stand-alone story for each of them.

[Ailla Magcamit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

"Some things are worth holding on to. Worth coming back to."
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And #PromdiHeart is definitely one of those things. Having read this years ago, it's refreshing to dive back and revisit old favorites for the first week of #RCReadathon2020 ✨⠀
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The best thing in this anthology is that it takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions while showcasing gorgeous, must-visit locations outside the metro. Fingers crossed for a much needed vacation soon!
⠀
Promdi (bottom of my) Heart, thank you #romanceclass for putting the spotlight on these stories of slowing down, being brave, embracing change, and at the end of the day, going back home wherever the tides may take you 💕⠀
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PS. I got hurt by Jay's One Certain Day all over again 😭Son you better redeem yourself!⠀

[Carla Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book prior to release for review.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me dive in to the wonderful thing that is this book. I loved it so much. Each of the six stories were all so well written, incorporating certain tropes that I've known about provincial life (looking at Manila as a completely different universe, fiestas, half naked boys, childhood stories, little superstitions that we all secretly still believe) without being corny or cheesy.

You know that each of these stories were written with a certain degree of skill from each author, who I highly consider to be masters at what they do. There are a lot of themes here are that are unique to Filipino stories--doing slightly different things for the sake of family tradition, and the question of going to Manila or staying right where they were.

Each of these stories also broke me a little...maybe because they literally hit close to home. I understood why Alice assumed Son knew her because of her sister (and why it hurt so good when he said what he said later on), Leah's blind devotion to success because she felt so alone, and of course Tin and Nicolas' whole saga. I was highlighting things and begging these stories to stop it with the hugot lines, because I felt them all to my core.

In a good way, of course.

Please pick up a copy of this anthology. It's good for your heart (and soul)!

[Harker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book brings together six authors to write about hometowns in the Philippines, each with their own take on stories bringing tow young lovers together. A chance Twitter encounter brought this book across my Kindle and today I'm sharing my thoughts on this collection.

Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi

I did not enjoy this story for a few reasons, primary of which is that I couldn't get into the story. The action didn't seem to have a clear pace. The characters, especially the main one (Andrea), were confusing. Andrea starts the story objecting to a project, vehemently speaking out against it at a meeting, but this objection seems to slide to the side because someone close to her is actually in charge and gets her a job involved in the project.

The "chapters" were cut off seemingly at random and quite abruptly, another thing that bugged me. The timing was another matter that made the story difficult to process; it jumped from saying a couple days later, a couple days later, etc. It felt weird and like saying dates or even specifying the times would've flowed better.

The basis of the story sounded like it could have been really interesting. Gathering the stories of the community, learning things about them, could have been a great way to share details with the reading audience, but I never got that sense of community from this particular story. The romance itself never felt real, either, whether it was because of the jolting nature of the storytelling or because there simply wasn't enough time to develop the relationship, I'm not sure. In either matter, this was not my favorite story of the collection.

Letters About a Boy by Ines Bautista Yao

Told in a series of letters from Tin-tin to her friend/cousin Annette, this story shared the trait of odd timing with Only the Beginning. Since these are letters, dates would've made infinitely more sense rather than "end of summer" or "a few weeks into high school year".

Tin-tin herself was not a sympathetic character. She came across as a bit whiny and more than a little petulant. She's pining over a boy, Nicholas, who gives her mixed signals about his interest. Over the years he dates, but never gets over Regina, a girl he was interested in at the beginning. Tin-tin is quoted as saying:

My god, Annette, it's been so freaking long. Why can't he get over this girl?

That is a classic pot calling the kettle black situation if I ever heard one. It didn't help that in the next paragraph she started tearing Regina apart, wondering why Nicholas liked her because Tin-tin doesn't think she looks like anything spectacular.

I really didn't like the relationship that "developed" between Tin-tin and Nicholas. She really did end up pining after him all these years, he made excuses for why he didn't "see" her sooner, and everything wrapped up far too nearly too quickly. They may have know each other for a long time as friends, but that's different than being in a romantic relationship. These two seem to have skipped several steps in between, making the finale a letdown.

Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano

This was the most visually appealing story of the novel. Taking place during the Ati-atihan Festival, the description of a party in the street, full of bright colors and loud music gave the piece a jubilant air.

I liked the familial relationship between Reina and Dex more so than the romantic one between Reina and Ben. Though brief, I got a real sense of caring from Dex. He was the annoying big brother, sure, but he was also helpful to Reina when he realized that she liked Ben (which he found out when he elbowed his way into their first "date", but that's a whole other thing). It was a weird situation to come to terms with in his mind, but he knew it was his sister's decision, would make her happy, and what he could do was support her (and take her side in any fights she and Ben might have 😉).

While there was still an insta-love feel to the relationship, it didn't feel quite as strong as some of the other stories. Reina and Ben have loosely known each other 8 years, but their interest is thrown into overdrive at the commencement of this tale. A little drama and it ends at a decent place: not solved, not a huge cliffhanger; just right for a short story.

One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria

I enjoyed the writing at the beginning of this story more than the previous stories and thought that it spoke of a turnaround for the collection as a whole. While it turned out that story's quality didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, the quality of telling it was good enough that I'd considered trying this author again in the future. This story in and of itself could have blossomed into a longer piece, I think, and been a contemporary YA novel. Things felt too rushed, too shoved into a too-small space.

There were some things that didn't make sense to me, such as Alice's interest in being an actress being mentioned offhand at one point. She mentions a part she gets called back for, but someone else is up for it so she's not sure she'll get this coveted role. Until then I'd had no idea what really spoke to her in terms of interests, other than All Saint's Day and Son's writing a song for her.

I'm glad they were able to reconcile their feelings and be friends at the end, even though Alice had hoped it would be different. Alice and Son, close as their are, do seem like they could be best friends. Things may change in the future, they may not, but the note they ended on was a decent one, if not wholly exuberant.

Once Upon a Bully by Georgette S. Gonzales

This story was a bit of a conundrum for me. The writing was decent, the characterization good (even if I didn't like the characters, the way they were written certainly managed to evoke specific emotions), but there were elements of the tale itself that did not make sense.

Bridgette has spent the last decade of her life somewhere, in stasis, but where? Her family is a bit far flung (Germany, Ontario) and remaining in the Philippines was her choice, though I'm unsure why. She says she's never lived away from her family, claims to be living alone, but it sounds like the place she's moved into on page one is an apartment/glorified room in a compound of her aunt's. Does this really count as living on her own?

This got relegated to the background of my mind when we were introduced to how she treated Miguel, her new neighbor and former childhood classmate, when they were children. It was abominable behavior and made me dislike her for the rest of the story. She seemed to show some guilt, but I have to wonder whether that guilt was tainted by her childhood fear of getting into trouble for torturing a fellow person.

I'm not sure if it was a cultural difference, Miguel's handling of the bullying. Perhaps a fellow reader could clear this up for me. He says:

...he didn't hate or dislike her. He was not brought up that way. He tolerated her bullying because his mother told him to never tease girls nor strike back and hurt them.

I'm not sure I could agree fully with his assessment that harboring ill feelings was pointless. Maybe you could move on from someone making your life horrible for months on end as a child, but would you really grow up to fall in love with them? That whole aspect of this story felt disingenuous and had me pulling faces the further I read.

Of course, just because he said there was no reason to be nasty, it meant she was absolved from her bitchiness. Or maybe she was absolved from that but not from apologizing.

This passage further highlighted something that Bridgette interpreted from her interaction with Miguel that I couldn't understand. I'm "glad" she feels she's been absolved of her bullying past, but that kind of past speaks to her character. She never really faced consequences for her actions; a slight embarrassment, maybe, but nothing that was anywhere near what she put Miguel through. This goes back to my wondering whether it's a cultural handling of bullying, but are things different in the Philippines than in the US? Was there any consideration for what bullied children actually go through and what it's like to see a story in which a bullied child enters a romantic relationship with their tormentor?

Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera

This story was by far my favorite because, while there were some parts that were not as fleshed out as I'd have liked, it felt like there was a good, solid story. There was conflict, happiness, and I could follow along on the action, the most important thing of all.

Leah's conflict between two love interests had me a bit unsteady at first, but when she and her work group (love interest #1 included) went to her beach house for the weekend, we got a peek at her life growing up. Wency (love interest #2) was there waiting for her, a summer time childhood friend, and we learned more about Leah, about what her hesitation regarding the past really meant for her, what it meant for her future. This story had the most heart of the collection, to me, and the least amount of difficulties.

Summary

I had some difficulty enjoying this book because I was out of my depth with the culture and the terms that were being used. I spent a lot of time having to look up terms that, while I could get the general context of, made it difficult to sort out who was related to who, or what their exact relationship was. The constant going to Google kept taking me out of the story, preventing me from really settling in to any one of them.

The stories were about 50/50. Three I liked fairly well, the other three I did not like much at all. With short story collections from different authors, or even from collections by the same author, this kind of thing is bound to happen. The ones I liked, I'd recommend seeing if you can find more from those authors and trying their longer fiction out. At the conclusion of the book is a brief bit on each author, including previous titles.

I received a copy of this book from Agay Llanera, one of the authors, in exchange for an honest review.

[Ɨყλи | MintTheLibrocubicularist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not that much of a blogger but I just had to read this one first because of a tweet that showcased the release of this book. I was really so keen and excited to read this one because I thought the idea of writing stories based on different locations in the Philippines was unique and I enjoy travelling. I just knew that I’ll definitely be entertained by this and the people who haven’t been on the locations featured here would surely be interested in visiting them. It felt as if I was on a tour to these provinces, getting familiar with the food and culture but in reality I was just at home in my jammies and in the comfort of my bed.

What I enjoyed the most was in some stories they actually inserted the dialects spoken in the dialogue among the characters. If I were to be honest though, I found it difficult to understand some as there were no direct translations provided I sure hope there could be a glossary at the end that could help non-native speakers understand them. I also love how some of the stories featured the province’s famous tourist attractions, delish local delicacies and one even featured a festival!


So here’s some of my thoughts on each of the stories. Please read at your own caution as these may contain some spoilers >.<


Story #1: Only the Beginning by C.P. Santi - This was a very cute love story. Even though it was short, I didn’t feel the romance between Andi and Martin were rushed. I adore their bantering and the traditional way Martin handled his feelings with Andi. It’s one cultural practice here in the Philippines that I hope can still be practiced by the younger generation. One of the things I took pleasure while reading this story though were the food featured in this story, it made me crave for them! They were so appetizing when I googled them. I also added Jimenez to my travek bucket list too

Favorite Lines from the story: Things happen for a reason. I’d needed to find myself again.. to heal… to ground myself in what was really important… to fill myself again before I was ready to give. – Andi

This line spoke to me because when one is going through something in life it’s not easy to acknowledge we’re hurting after a break-up. Most of the time we just pretend everything is okay when it’s not. Like they say, it’s okay to not be okay but we have to realize what’s best for us because once we recognize that, the moving on process starts, we finally heal and be prepared to give a piece of us again.


Story #2: Letters to a Boy by Ines Bautista-Yao - Such a distinctive read amongst the other stories because Ms Ines relayed her story to the readers through the hand written letters that Tin-Tin (the lead character) sent to her cousin Annette. We all know these aren’t that popular anymore as a form of communication but this was a nice touch as it rekindled memories of receiving international snail mails from my friends and loved ones before. There’s this special feeling that emits once you get a hold of an envelope knowing it came from a faraway place. Nostalgia at its finest J Another plus of this story is that it featured some beloved books that I enjoyed in my younger years. Tin-Tin was a kindred spirit. Regarding the romance, I actually thought this was ending in a heartbreak because years has passed and it was still a one sided love. I felt Tin-Tin was better off alone or find someone else as it was really on the last pages where we get to see Nicholas’ sincerity or feelings for her. I also applaud Tin-Tin on actually saying what’s on her mind (despite her already getting what she has been yearning for years) after Nicholas spoke of his feelings to her. I never felt it was true at first but Nicholas persevered and alas it was a happy ending for the couple! Also I have to note that Negros is love :D (It’s actually where my roots are :P so yeah!)


Story #3: Drummer Boy by Chris Mariano - I found this story really fun. I have always wanted to experience the Ati-Atihan festival but I never really have the chance to do so yet. Ms Chris did a wonderful job of describing some of what you’ll see or experience if you get to attend this festival. Like Wired Differently I finished this one the quickest but it was pleasant read. I have always wanted an older brother so seeing how Dex was being all protective of Reina was adorable. The lead MCs were also really level headed and showcased character growth despite this being a short story. Their ending was really sweet and epic!
Favorite Lines from the story: She understood it now, wanting to be there. Wanting to be counted on, wanting to commit to something that was bigger than her. Wanting to be responsible for someone, wanting to be responsible with someone. It didn’t need to start with a five-year plan. In the end it was just a matter of choosing.


Story #4: One Certain Day by Jay E. Tria - The lead MC Alice has a quirky favourite holiday but I couldn’t blame her reasons though. I appreciate that Ms Jay was really detailed in explaining the tradition of All Saints’ Day here in the Philippines and shared to readers how tightly knitted our family bonds are and how these elements were intertwined with interactions of the leads. This featured a trope which is one of my favourites "Childhood Friends” but this was already some form of a caution that it may not end the way I wanted it to and yep it didn’t. I didn’t feel it was a letdown though because distance can really change things especially because Son and Alice were never really together. There was no commitment so if stuff happened, no one can really be blamed as they were simply friends. It’s a shame but some things are just not meant to be. I still very much enjoyed reading this because of the way Alice handled everything. At the very least she didn’t have that classic “what if” moment because she was braved enough to be honest with her feelings.


Favorite Lines from the story: “Blank space”, he repeated patiently. “When someone dies, they leave a space. A spot. A vacancy, if you will. The ones that remain hurry to fill it.”
Like what Son’s dad said this does apply to other things not just with dying and Alice unfortunately felt this with her heartbreak from Son. TT_TT **sighs** I can still console with the fact at the very least they kept the friendship as this was such a huge obstacle that could have broken them. I am looking forward in reading Son’s own story now xD


Story #5: Once Upon A Bully by Georgette S. Gonzales – from enemies to lovers XD Vigan is pure love. I visited this place a few years ago and it was a great experience that when I was reading about the famous spots featured in this story was like a trip back to memory lane. It was kinda difficult for me to read the chapter where Bridgette bullied Miguel but it got better when she has shown remorse and realized the errors of her ways then. She is such a lucky girl that Miguel was gracious to accept her apology, that gorgeous Iggy or Miguel xD Their romance quickly escalated but I guess it was just meant to be and I’m satisfied how it was wrapped up. The pacing towards their HEA imo was nice.


Story #6: Back to the Stars by Agay Llanera – this has got to be my favourite story out of all 6. The way Ms Agay wrote this was just so engaging and Wency and Leah are my favourite MCs. I like that Wency does not called out Leah for the bad behaviour she displayed and didn’t mince his words in saying what he thinks about this change. I understand Leah as moving to Manila will toughen you especially when you find yourself in an unfamiliar place all by yourself, but it doesn’t hurt to still remember our roots. I am glad she realized this and owned up to it. I also deeply love the way Ms Agay described Pundaquit because I found it so fascinating and felt it would be a shame if I never visited this place before I die.


Favorite Lines from the story: Because it hurt to hold on to things. It hurt more to hold on to people.. “Because you can’t move forward if you don’t let go. Don’t think about the past. Don’t hold on to things that are no longer around. It’s pathetic, pining for the things you can no longer have.”


Rating: 3.5

As a whole I enjoyed this book. It’s actually the first anthology I’ve read and I kinda wished some were longer stories though as I craved for more. I definitely would recommend this to anyone who wants a light but fluffy read with gorgeous settings and great Female MCs.



I received an ARC of this book in form of an ebook. This is actually my first time doing this type of review so a huge thanks to them for giving me the chance to read this in advance and do a review for it.

[H. Bentham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This came in a wonderful time as I had been having bad bouts of homesickness and what better way to travel the Philippines on a budget than to read stories set in them!

While I consider all six authors to be #romanceclass superstars, two of them I’ve had the chance to read only for the first time in this anthology collection. Because the stories are short (I want them all to be longerrrr!), I’ll be reviewing the stories on their own first, and then the whole collection after. Here we go!

1. Only the Beginning – C.P. Santi
+ I love the use of Visayan words in the narration and dialogue. (probably because this this the only Filipino dialect I can understand aside from the national language! XD)
+ As with other CPSanti books, the inclusion of architectural details/jargon is wonderfully done, it doesn’t take away from the romance.
+ Alon is my spirit animal! Especially that part where he tells Andi, “Dai, don’t you think it’s a sign?”
+ Scooter-riding MC + Dimpled LI = <3
+ Text/Chat parts (plus THAT joke! XD). I was a bit wary when a chapter started doing this because it’s too “youth-speak” for me (not that I’m that old!), and past experiences with this type of story-telling tended to get too corny and cringe-y for me. This, however, was okay for me, especially when Martin started the knock-knock joke (to which, I imagined Andi rolling her eyes as she replied) and ended with Andi’s own joke! It made both of them more endearing to me.
+ This quote: “Happiness is a choice. Happiness is something that doesn’t just happen. It’s something that you grab on to with both hands.” I forget this sometimes, and this is probably why I need to read romance often, so I’m reminded that I have a choice.

2. Letters to a Boy – Ines Bautista-Yao
+ 90’s old-school snail mail got me so bad! It inspired me to send mail to friends I still knew addresses of.
+ This story perfectly reflected how relationships could work despite the constraints of space and time. And I’m talking about both Tin-tin and Annette’s friendship and Tin-tin and Nicolas’ romance. ;)
+ Horseback riding is <3!
+ Parents! I will forever love characters that take care of their parents!
+ Biggest turn-on for me is this story’s depiction of MC’s affection’s unrequited beginnings but when the tide turns, Tin-tin doesn’t foolishly fall head-on to the man he’d been pining for. She makes him work for it, and work for it he does!
+ Tin-tin and Nicolas’ years-long slow-burn love story set the solid foundation for the HEA towards the end!
+ P.S. the mention of Carrie, the white girl, inadvertently reminded me of that totally unrelated other girl who burned her entire school gym and killed hundreds of people when she was bathed in pig’s blood. Ehe.

3. Drummer Boy – Chris Mariano
+ Tall, muscly musicians are my weakness. Argh
+ The brother’s bestfriend trope is not that unfamiliar to me, but this took me on a wild ride especially at that part where the big brother actually landed a deserving punch to his best friend somewhere along the way.
+ I love that Reina is a woman of agency, not just in what she wants her guy to be/to do, but in all aspects of her life, as well. She acknowledges how uncomfortable her relationship with Ben might be for her Kuya, but she doesn’t let that get in the way of what her heart is telling her.
+ I live for the grand gesture in this one!
+ Chris’ descriptions of all the festivities cemented Ati-Atihan on my list of “Things to Experience Before I turn 40”!

4. One Certain Day – Jay E. Tria
+ Very relatable and nostalgic for me because our family’s big on All Saints’/All Souls’ Day celebrations. It never turned as romantic as this, though. Sayang. Heehee.
+ I also relate to finding old classmates recently and noting how everyone looks different, yet not-so-different, at the same time.
+ I love that bit about naming children ‘as if with a purpose’
‘Kiligs’ everytime Son comes back to Hagonoy, especially that part where he hands Alice an unfinished song! Eeeeee!
+ I also love that Alice took charge of her destiny at some point. No more waiting for the guy who’s taking forever to make a move, my god.
+ There is heartbreak somewhere in here, but it’s done in a mature and realistic way, and it doesn’t ruin anything for me. It makes it even more special, tbh.

5. Once Upon A Bully – Georgette S. Gonzales
+ Homecoming stories are near and dear my heart, especially since I’ve been away from home for too long!
+ Hunky-dunky LI! <3
+ The Vigan experience here is special because the characters reminisce the Vigan they grew up in and the Vigan now. It perfectly captured one’s love for home that many of us take for granted.
+ Bridgette’s “the more you hate…” trope is on point!
+ Bagnettttttttttt!!!!!

6. Back to the Stars – Agay Llanera
+ Another homecoming story! YASS!
+ The scene where Wency’s mother mentions “biskwit” tugged several heartstrings for me. I always feel for remembering the places you grew up in, but I feel MOAR for the people you grew up with!
+ Wency is sweet AF! His full name is funny to me, but the meaning behind it, and his sisters’ names, makes it extra special.
+ Leah’s changed attitude after being a City Girl for so long is dealt with realistically. It’s not a bad thing for me, it’s normal. But a sort of redemption in the end made me super happt for her. :)
+ I ship Leah + Wency so harddd! I mean, Leah Gurl, andami mong choices! Haha!
+ So there, my review for the individual stories. Hehe. For the whole anthology, my only request is for the authors to expand these stories! I’m very invested in all the characters at this point and I don’t want to part with them just yet! Haha!

Congrats, ladies! And thank you for doing this. My love for the Philippines had been reinforced with these stories and I hope other readers would find our wonderful side of the world as romantic as it is. :)

* This review also appears on my personal blog: bentchcreates.tumblr.com