Chasing Waves

by Bianca Mori

Thirty-two-year-old Mags Abarquez is a single mom to a preschooler with golden ringlets, and by God, she is going to be good. After a lifetime of only being interested in catching the next wave, she tries out for her company’s training faculty, determined to be serious and make it work this time. The only catch? Luke, her hot, younger training mentor. With a sexy nape, a penchant for paper-thin T-shirts and a disarming smile, he’s Mags’ personal brand of kryptonite. Can she stay the course when temptation loves to banter and is so good with her son?

A contemporary romance set in the Philippines about motherhood, workplace attraction and finding that sweet spot between passion and vocation, Chasing Waves will make you swoon and smile

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2017

About the author

Bianca Mori writes contemporary romances, romantic suspense and crime fiction set in the Philippines, Europe, the United States and all points in between. Her steamy stories have been called “fast-paced and super-hot,” “engaging,” “vivid” and “engrossing.” She lives in Manila with her family and a hyperactive pug. Find Bianca on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as thebiancamori or at her website (www.biancamori.com).

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

30something single mum falls for slightly younger trainer at work. This wouldn't be so much of an issue but this is set in a predominantly conservative/Catholic culture (Manila) and Mags, our heroine, is extremely conscious of being stigmatised at work thanks to a sexual harassment incident.

We can really feel for her--it's all very well telling people to 'ignore the gossips'/'be yourself' but judgey whispers are debilitating and miserable to live through. That come across strongly, but is well balanced by Luke, the utter cinnamon roll hero, and a cute but not obtrusive kid. A very engaging feel-better read with quite high steam for #romanceclass.

[Yna from Books and Boybands · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But what I’ve realized, what I shouldn’t have forgotten, is that surfing hurts. Being a mother hurts. Love hurts. Anything worth doing hurts. I’d even wager that the more passion you have for something, the greater the cost, the greater the risk."

📚 Series? No.
📚 Genre? Contemporary Romance.
📚 POV? First person.
📚 Cliffhanger? No.

I got Chasing Waves from the #romanceclass Taal Relief Bundle at the start of the year but I never got the chance to read it. Thanks to the #KindleClearOut readathon, I had a reason to! It was one of the shortest ebooks I have on my Kindle.

Chasing Waves tells the story of single mom Mags who, for the love of her adorable son, is committed into being a *better* version of self. That starts with seeking stability in the workplace and trying out to be a BPO trainer.

Now, the BPO industry is a major contributor to the Philippine economy, so I'm sure so many people will be able to relate to this story. In fact, this was my first job and my mom is in the industry for 15 years now!

I loved Chasing Waves, despite its short length. It made me smile and made me feel kilig, while also pinching the heart and making me teary.

I admire Mags and her strength. Her story made me appreciate her character a lot and root for her throughout the way. And on the romance aspect, Mags and hot training manager Luke had amazing chemistry. (Watch out for the dance scene! 😉)

Overall, I enjoyed this reading Chasing Waves and I will be looking out for Bianca Mori's future works.

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.09/5 ☁

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[Agay Llanera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this story 5 stars just for those gorgeous opening paragraphs on surfing. But yes, the rest of the story, too, is beautiful and masterfully written. Don't you pin any judgment on my girl, Mags. All single moms deserve a hot romance with a younger man.

[Sumedha the wordy habitat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable read.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll write a better review later, but for now...

That dance scene. My gosh.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first book from this author and i really liked it! The sexy nape was a helluva promo and it didn't disappoint at all ;)

I'm going to need some more single mom, younger guy stories i think. :)

[H. Bentham]

"All I can think of is that I'm too old for this, and I should know better."⁣
•⁣⁣
This was my first read in 2020 and I have so many things I want to discuss, but I know I will be spoilery so I'll just try to keep it within IG caption limit. LOL⁣
⁣
What this is is a delicious office romance between single mother Mags and a younger trainer (with a sexy nape!) Luke. The age-gap isn't v huge but bec this is the PH and office chismis is notorious, Mags is reluctant at first, until Luke wins her heart, as well as her adorable little boy's. ⁣
⁣
This novella touched on a facet of early and single parenthood of Pinays, a little bit on the country's BPO industry, and well, Kaladkarin heart. All of which felt new and unique and refreshing for me. This really set my reading year off to a great start. ⁣
⁣
I love that part where Mags asks Luke why he likes her, bec this is a very simple BUT v loaded question, and he answers in earnest, telling Mags exactly what she hadn't fully realized about herself. He tells her how amazing she is, without patronizing her, tells her why she's The Best in his eyes and heehee, I melted into a puddle on the inside. 💓⁣
⁣
I also love how she challenges him esp when the surprise Love Contract is presented to her. It showed how emotionally strong she really was, even when she thought of herself otherwise.⁣
•⁣⁣
"There wasn't really anything else I wanted to do with my life. No grand plan, no magic passion."⁣
•⁣⁣
A huge part of the novella was also Mags' view of herself bec of all that she is and all that she's been through, and I loved this line about being having no idea what to do with your life bec I've been there, and somehow I felt validated. That's only one thing that endeared Mags to me, but agh, you have to read the book and you'll love her too!⁣

[Miel Salva · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's never easy being a single parent. Especially for females.

Aside from being ostracized by society and getting judged as 'maaga kasing lumandi', 'makati kasi', and other demeaning and hurtful words that even come from their family members, single parents have to raise their children and act as both moms and dads to their kids. They have to stay tough to be able to protect their children from being judged as the 'fruit of the parent's sins'. And it's another issue when said single parent takes another shot at love because most people will think it's just another mistake to add.

I'm glad that Mags had a solid support system in the form of Auntie Tilde and Cass. And that Luke (with his sexy sexy nape) didn't care of Mags' kaladkarin heart's history and even took care of it; even signing a Love Contract to prove that.

These (and more) are all evident in Ms. Bianca's novel. It was both enlightening and painful to read, to be honest, but I have no regrets. Just that I hope more novels like this will be made available to help change our perceptions about single parents, and to help more people understand that they too, deserve a second chance at proving their worth and falling in love with the right person.

[Binibining `E (of The Ugly Writers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
Title: Chasing Waves
Author: Bianca Mori
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

OMG I so love this #romanceclass story. It is just too short though. Been working for a long time in the BPO industry and you know what everything in here is just so true, what I mean is this are really happening out there. I really did enjoy reading this. A story about a single mom with lots of issue but finding solace and love and acceptance.

The characters are amazing. I like Mags and in general we all can relate to her. At some point I myself see some traits of mine in her and I know most people can too. That speech that she did really struck me it made me teary eyed a bit it just feels so moving and just reading that part will also make you feel proud of her. Luke, on the otherhand was just so positive in everything as in. Who wouldn't love him! I love their chemistry and how they interact with each other and I wish there is more from them. I want to read more of their stories, their arguments, their growing relationship.

I know this is way too long reading this book, I believe that the author sent me this copy way way before and I do apologize as I just read this now but the long wait is over and I really like this short story. It is a fast read but story was very warm and so so much relatable.

[Anjeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I just say how accurate this book is on the BPO part of the story? And that, my friends, is what I love the most about #RomanceClass books. The guaranteed kilig and it feels so real. Because the characters, the settings, and some experiences is something I know or been there before.

Kudos to Mags, we love to see them strong women standing up for whatever it is life throws their way. And to Luke, hot damn. (I can't help but imagine a certain live reader huhu the one who did the character in that one Hello Ever After episode) and to Magnus because he's just so adorable.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Reminded me of my contact center days plus it was so much fun to fan-cast Luke and Mags after reading the first few pages.

[Turtleberry Turtleberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute

I really enjoyed the story of Mags and Luke. The surfing metaphor was great. It worked even though I know next to nothing about surfing. Super cute story.

[Jay Tria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the first description of surfing a wave. It was so sharp and so palpable, I felt Mags's longing to be on a board again. Her angst and pain and strength built up naturally from there. There's a lot to be kilig about in this book in as much as there are pangs and bursts of pain ready to hurt you. Mags is a toughie, and she is so because she really is a softie. And to see her reconcile who she has to be as a mom, who she is according to the definition of others, and who she can become according to her own terms was nothing short of touching. It felt like a win to see her win. This is a romance, yes, but it's a solid road to self-discovery as well. I wished there were more pages to this book, though, if only so I could have had a richer experience with Mags and Luke. I rooted for them and felt their chemistry, but I would not have said no to more. As it is, this is Mags's book through and through, and for that it was awesome. Another must-read from Bianca Mori.

[Ima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick fun read :)