Swept Off My Feet

by Ines Bautista-Yao

Why my life sucks
by Geri Lazaro

1. My dad left when I was a kid.
2. My mom is in love (insert eye roll).
3. With a guy who is like 10 years younger than her!
4. My friends think he’s hot. (Gross)
5. I love ballet but our dance studio has a leak and we have to dance in this smelly studio that doubles as an aikido dojo.
6. There’s this Dojo guy who thinks the studio belongs to him.
7. Friends think Dojo guy is cute. (Ew.) (Okay, objectively maybe but still, ew.)
8. I’m failing algebra.
9. Need to quit either basketball or ballet. Or both.
10. Dojo guy keeps showing up! (Fine, he does aikido in the same building but whatever.)
11. Dojo guy is asking me to dance with him. And maybe he is as cute as my friends say.
12. I don't know what to do anymore!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2017

About the author

Reading and writing are close to Ines Bautista Yao's heart ever since she was a child. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Communication Arts. She has been a teacher at the Assumption College San Lorenzo and the Ateneo de Manila University's English department.

Her debut novel One Crazy Summer was first penned in 2007 when she was pregnant with her first daughter Addie. Being a mother has taken much of Ines' time so she was only able to write 13 pages of her novel. She completed her story in April 2011, while three-year-old Addie was sleeping and inspiration struck her again. Two months later her story was complete. After eight months, her dream of publishing her own book came true. The book was only launched last January 26, 2012, but Ines is already writing her second novel.

Most readers can remember Ines as the former editor-in-chief of K-Zone Magazine and Candy Magazine . At present, Ines is working as an editor of Summit Books. She is also married to photographer Marc Yao, whom she says she consults whenever she's stuck in the middle of a story she's writing.

Sources:
One Crazy Summer Author Ines Bautista Yao on Juggling Writing and Motherhood by Belle Yambao
Spotlight on Filipino Authors: Ines Bautista-Yao

Reviews

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swept Off My Feet is a story I didn't expect to like. For a short story, it's character driven, realistic and greatly wrapped up. What I really like the most was the teenage angst. I really like Geri Lazaro. She's athletic, straightforward and expressive. Her emotions felt authentic whether it's anger or joy. How she balanced studying, dancing and playing basketball? It's admirable. Though she struggled a bit on Algebra (I feel you girl!), she managed it for the sake of doing things she loved. I also like the romance was minimal but it's still cute.

[kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that this might just be this author's best book to date! When I first found out it was going to be about ballet, to be frank, I was like "hmmm." I love dance (this reminded me of the film Step Up), but ballet is not exactly at the top of my most-enjoyed. But when the cover (magical) and blurb came out and I saw that there was martial arts involved, I one-clicked this book on Amazon right away. Dance and martial arts together? I AM SO THERE AND NEVER LEAVING. That title is also ~en pointe.

Geri is a little intense and angsty, and I was brought back to my younger years. It's crazy to think I was once like her at several times in my life (teenage years are looong, haha), especially now that I'm more than a decade older and would like to convince my self that I'm much more well adjusted and calm and self actualized. She has a lot of things going on, and I was overwhelmed by the daunting task of following her trying to balancing everything—ballet and basketball (a fan of the Michael Jordan, although there's more to it), school work (specifically raising her grade in algebra), her old and ~new daddy issues and of course, Dojo Guy (who has a really, really cute name: Bas Mercado) that keeps on showing up just when she needs him (we all want that kind of guy in our lives). But she pulls through, and I learned a few important things from her, not just life-wise but also in terms of story writing.

As for the romance, there were quite a few faces of it in this story. I enjoyed how smoothly the author was able to intertwine each of them in a novella. Geri and Dojo Guy started out as a mild enemies-to-lovers trope—a thing most romance readers gush about—and then gradually moved on to being friends-to-lovers, another thing that is always worth seeing blossom. I also especially liked the one between Geri's mom and his 29-year-old boyfriend, Matt, because he sounds like a dreamboat (heh).

Here are a couple of my favorite lines from the book:



"How was I going to concentrate on anything when I was so affected by his touch?" (from Chapter 11)

"When you're used to building a thick layer of granite around your feelings, it isn't easy to chip away at it to reveal the soft, vulnerable rawness underneath." (from Chapter 14)

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love this new book by Ines B. Yao.. Mostly because, there’s a ballerina in the story. Just so you know, when I was in 2nd grade, my mom enrolled me in ballet, together with my twin cousins EdieLyn and MarieLyn. For three years, we danced and glided like swans, in allegro while in strict arabesque position wearing white tutus and pointe shoes. We performed in school and church events, and I always loved the feeling ballet entailed.

That’s why I felt a connection with Geri Lazaro, the main female character in the story. Aside from being a ballerina, Geri also played basketball in her school. And then, we share the same distaste in Algebra too. And oh, she and her mom loved listening to 90s songs and Alanis Morisette! Wow! I mean, how cool is that? I’d love to meet Geri Lazaro for real!

And mister Dojo guy also known as Bas is such a nice guy. There’s something about him that makes him endearing and charming, not just because of his looks and ridiculously tall appearance and affiliation with aikido. Bas is the kind of guy you’d want to know more, hate to disappoint, and love to be with everytime. Yes, he’s that kind of guy.

While both have family issues to deal with, they got this special kind of bond that appealed to readers like me.

Swept Off My Feet reminds me of one of my favorite dance movies of all time, Step Up (the one with Channing Tatum). I loved that movie but I think I love this book even more. I love all the characters and I love how I easily connected with all of them. I love how Ines Yao brings out my cheesy side and how she effortlessly makes me grin with her stories. I would definitely have a smile on my face when I go to sleep tonight.

[Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swept Off My Feet is an inspiring story of a girl who fought for her passion, and for love. It’s a tale of acceptance, and of being brave enough to let yourself be hurt – and stand up stronger after the fall. The best Ines Bautista-Yao book yet. ❤

Full review on my book blog: https://wp.me/p4gfJt-MB

[Shenna Lagdameo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swept Off My Feet makes the reader experience the youthful bliss of life and the nostalgia of family, first love and adolescence. I am still a reader in her teens, but I am certain that all of those who read this book experienced the nostalgic feels of being a young adult for it captures the raw emotions of being a teen.

Ines was able to capture my young adult heart. She crafted both of her characters beautifully and I fell for them both. The scenes she used in this book were definitely a part of teenage life. Currently, I am still in this stage of life and I couldn’t agree more with the special relationships of Geri and her friends, Simone and Helena. It is really a must to have trustworthy friends that you can lean on and will support you no matter what. Those teenage fights, struggling from her studies especially algebra, literary references and school food just made sense to me.

This book is eternal memoir of teenage life and every teen should be thankful for the existence of such a stunning creation.

5 out of 5 shining stars!

see full review at my blog: https://hernerdventures.wordpress.com...

[Kris Mauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It didn't matter if my dad had broken my heart. Because even if he had flown away, even if he had to leave us to find himself, I could forgive him. I could move on. And I could let go of the fear that all boys were going to hurt me the way he did."

Ines Bautista-Yao's books ALWAYS make me smile, and this one was no excemption. I love the way she captures all the angsty feels of being young and learning who you truly are. She writes relatable character-driven stories that makes the reader want to continue to know more about them. And the romance is always the cherry on top! Highly recommend Swept Off My Feet and all of her other books. <3

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geri loves basketball and ballet, but her struggles with algebra have now put her ability to do both at risk as she is forbidden from extracurricular activities until her marks improve. Simultaneously her family life feels unsettled as her mother's relationship with her boyfriend shows signs of becoming more serious and then there is Bas, the cute guy from the dojo who seems to show up unexpectedly (or maybe not). I enjoyed this teenage romance set in Manila, the Philippines with lovely characters.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding up

This was a really cute YA romance! I like that Geri actually behaved like a teenager. She was sometimes irrational and frustrating and moody... like teenagers :) I didn’t really feel like Bas was as fleshed out, maybe because of this being in first person POV, or maybe just the shorter length of the book.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful tale, primarily about Geri, a bright but troubled teenage girl... Mostly, she comes across as a pretty sullen and obnoxious teenager. But beneath the bristly exterior, she is actually a nice person...

I believe this is the first time I have read a story that is set in the Philippines. While most things seemed quite similar to life in the United States or similar countries, subtle differences did make the background atmosphere of the tale quite noticeable and interesting.

This story came across as very real and authentic. The teenage angst that Geri experiences, and the general bad attitude she often exhibits, felt very familiar... As she begins to work out some of her internal conflicts, her relationships with pretty much everyone in her life improve greatly.

Basically, it was a fun, overall uplifting, clean Young Adult love story. One that I definitely recommend.

To see my full review of this title, visit the So Few Books blog at: https://sofewbooks.blogspot.com/2018/...!

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Loving the Book and have willingly provided an honest review.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swept Off My Feet was a delightful story about a Filipino teenager dealing with abandonment and anger issues because of her father choosing to walk away from the family.  That almost sounds like it isn't possible, right?

Ines Bautista-Yao did a fantastic job of communicating the thoughts and emotions of an angsty teenager.  Though I would never do, think or say the things Geri did, I completely understood her motivations and didn't once feel like the story was unrealistic or off base.

I especially enjoyed reading about some of the cultural differences.  They were subtle, but there if you were looking.  Things like having the extended family living in the same house and language differences like "hot dog sandwich".  Reading these just made me smile.

The author used some great descriptions.  One of my favorites was "panic coiling around my neck like a boa constrictor".  The story had the right balance of these similes so they were not overdone or trite.

 This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

[Shayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An innocent young adult read of a young woman trying to find her place between her loves of basketball & ballet vs her dislikes of her father abandoning her, her mom's new boyfriend, the "dojo guy", and algebra.

I liked that while she didn't make a miraculous complete change, which would've felt unbelievable for this story, the heroine did grow and significantly so.

As a teen, I bottled up negative emotions which would bubble over and run away from me at times, so I commiserate with her and the tendency when things are overwhelming to just stay lashing out even if you don't really mean what you say.

A rather innocently naive young woman, Geri has had a lot of things to deal with. She may seem childish, petulant and spoiled at times, especially to adult readers but you have to remember she's around 14 or 15, which is a very tricky stage between growing up and still being a little kid.

A believable story and characters, an enjoyable read, and a definite recommendation for almost all ages (at least those 13+).

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geri feels torn between her two loves: basketball and ballet. Her grades are suffering, and a choice has to be made. "Dojo guy" offers his help but can Geri bring herself to trust when her life has been shattered by men before?

This is a very sweet YA story. It is a quick read, so at times it is hard to really feel any depth to Geri. She's an angry teenager, though there are moments when she is able to shake it off to be more than that. Her passion for two extracurricular activities that do not mix, ballet and basketball, was fascinating, and her struggle to keep them both in her life was interesting.

"Dojo guy" (his name is Bas, by the way) would have annoyed me as much as he annoyed Geri, so I found her change of heart towards him hard to believe. The combination of ballet and aikido was a fascinating part I wish we had seen more of.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read for an afternoon and I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys the young adult genre.

[Cathleene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first full length novel by Ms. Ines that I read and I regret I haven't read her other books yet because Swept Off My Feet was awesome!!! I have missed reading and feeling the magic of YA, bringing you back to your own teenage years. Specially the part where Geri is acting out because of her angst towards the world. I think everyone for once in their life passed that stage (or is it just me bc I did? Hahaha) and it's kinda fun because you can laugh when you picture yourself thinking the same things. There's teenage drama and family issues yet this for me is a refreshing read. Bas and Geri is too cute I wanna squish them heehee. And eventhough I'm not familiar with ballet and aikido, I think I've learned a few just by reading this book. Thank you for sharing this wonderful book to us, Ms. Ines 💕

[Book Bits-N-Bobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written, and I liked it. The story was enjoyable with enough teenage drama and romance to appeal to the YA audience. I wasn’t fond of the drama but this is a personal preference not in any way a problem with the book itself. The situations the characters found themselves in, and their reactions, were believable and in some cases completely understandable.
I enjoyed all the little details that were included in the book, allowing you to feel as if you were experiencing the environment around them... and now I am craving a Mango smoothie.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a clean YA romance with a dash of drama. There are no warnings, no bad language, and the most you get is a few kisses. I would be completely comfortable giving this to any teenager even down to the younger age group.

[Flores, Chiena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third book of this author and I am not even surprised that I loved it. Plain Vanilla and All that Glitters were fun read that when I heard about this book, I had no doubt in my mind I'd enjoy it for sure.

A story about a strong heroine with an attitude and how she copes up with the threat of losing her ballet and basketball due to Algebra. (Don't worrt Geri, I hated algebra too). This story is not just any typical love story, this is a story of family and how you don't have to understand everything and just accept the way they are (thanks , Matt ). I think this story really did SWEPT ME OFF MY FEET

And hey, it truly does not hurt that a dream-worthy guy is thrown in the mix. Where can I order a Bas around here pls?

Five stars for this and will be watching out for a new release from this author surely 😍😍😍

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book written by this author and I'm glad I chose to read one of her works because I liked it. I've read a handful of romance books for the past few weeks and I was always left unsatisfied by the romance aspect of it. But not in this one! Geri and Bas are so cute! I especially loved the scenes where both of them bantered.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right amount of angst and kilig

Geri and Bas's story had the right amount of angst, sass and kilig. I found myself giggling like a high schooler while reading some parts. Given that I wasn't that good in Algebra either. 💜😅

[juanita dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swept Off My Feet

We can't love until we get over the pain we've experienced. I had a MIA father. I thought it did not affect me but it did and showed in my marriage. When I can love like Jesus loves He may send someone in my life.

[Ailla Magcamit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5

[Livsreadingdiaries · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. This was pretty darn cute. Slightly cheesey and filled with lots of teenage angst, but it was still good :)

[k · Rating 4 out of 5]

awww I really liked this! review to come :D

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet YA romance set in Manila. I'd recommend this for 5th grade and up.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was short, but it worked for it. It gave you enough to become attached to the character and the people around her.

[Lynai · Rating 3 out of 5]

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