This book is the last of the Costa Leona Series 3rd Generation and I personally think that ending the 3rd Generation CLS with Jaxon Riego and Amber Sevilla was the wisest thing Jonaxx did. Ito ang pinakapaborito ko sa CLS at sa lahat ng libro na naisulat ni Queen J. Tumigil ako magbasa sa wattpad for awhile after Scorching Love and I only came back this year, finding so many books of Jonaxx waiting to be read. And tutal summer ko naman ay talagang nag-binge read ako ng works niya. ALL of Costa Leona Series, I finished under a month and Sunburned Heart is definitely my favorite.
CLS started with Sibal and I remember it being my favorite story back then. Something about the setting, Costa Leona, ika nga. It's really nice to imagine at ang sarap paglaruan sa isip ng mga scenes na naisulat ni Queen J. Doon na-introduce si Jaxon at first. I remember na tuwang-tuwa ako sakaniya kasi nagseselos sakaniya si Sibal because Jaxon and Snow were close. But I didn't really focus much on him back then kasi, duh, story naman 'yon ni Sibal and Snow.
Tandang-tanda ko na mala-playboy talaga si Jaxon sa Scorching Love kaya nung sinimulan ko 'yung Sunburned Heart tapos first chapter palang eh nakabuntis na siya, 'di ko alam kung magugulat ba 'ko o ano. The start was definitely different from any other books and when I say na it started off with a bang, it LITERALLY started off with a bang. Sobrang nakakagulantang 'yung miscarriage ni Amber, especially since first chapter palang at ganoon na agad.
Though, I continued reading and I found myself very very invested.
I loved each and every character in this story.
Amber, for how she grew and matured. For the first few chapters, so many readers hated her character dahil sa pagiging isip-bata niya. But I couldn't really find myself to blame her. She was sheltered and spoiled all her life. Hindi niya alam 'yong mga kabigatan sa buhay kasi never niyang naranasan 'yon and she was still so so young. I would say na she has the greatest character development in every story Jonaxx has ever written. Sobrang laki ng pag-mature niya sa future chapters and it was really satisfying to read.
Jaxon, for how strong and brave he is. Sobra-sobra ko siyang nagustuhan because, no matter how much he didn't want to put himself in a life owned by a Galvez, he still did dahil ganon kabait ang kalooban niya. He protected Amber when Amber was still young and vulnerable and he was the one and only person Amber leaned on during the times she needed someone.
Their personalities really complemented each other pero syempre may differences din. Iyong mga away nila, may laman. You could see the character's flaws very well dahil sa misunderstandings. May negative side si Amber at Jaxon just like how they both had a positive side. And for me, Queen J wrote their characterizations really well.
Characterization, check. Flow of the story, check. Dialogues, check. No unnecessary subplots. Lahat ng scene may laman, walang filler chapter ni isa. Each character had their own story to tell, even the villains. Some readers considered Marem the villain, but personally I don't think she was. Or maybe she really is. Pero I don't consider her one. Yes, she fucked up multiple times. Ang dami niyang nagawa na hindi kayang patawarin ng ibang tao. But that's just how she is. She was a great mother, a great wife and she was a great friend. She did all of the things to protect her daughter, her husband, and her best friend. Amber, Gaudencio, and Nicholas.
My most favorite scene in the book is 'yong meeting ni Jaxon and Jacques. God, I cried buckets while reading that scene. Punong-puno ng emosyon at ramdam mo na pati ikaw nandoon. I felt bad for Jacques but I also felt super bad for Jaxon, especially after kong mabasa 'yong point of view niya sa Wakas. Sobrang tagos sa puso nung scene na nililibing niya iyong nalaglag na anak nila ni Amber. That was the most raw scene in the book for me.
When Amber asked him if he started seeing other girls during the time na umalis si Amber ng Pilipinas and he answered with a "I lost a child with the woman I love the most. How could I look at anyone else after that?" I. Felt. That. Sobra-sobra 'yong pagmamahal niya kay Amber pati sa anak niya..
Here are some of the memorable lines from Sunburned Heart na hinding-hindi ko malilimutan.
"It's called first love dahil diyan ka matututo kung paano talaga magmahal ng tama."
"Loving right isn't pouring your whole self to the other person. Loving right is loving a person with self preservation."
"Sa unang pagibig, hindi mo alam kung paano magmahal. Masasaktan ka dahil hindi ka nagtira para sa sarili mo. The pain will change you. Sa unang pagibig, they are not meant to stya. They are only meant to teach you a lesson that you will appreciate once you get older and wiser."
"There are things in life that you'll never get over. Because if you did, you'll forget the lesson."
"Your end was my end too. When I lost you, I lost myself."
"If we turn back time and change some things, maybe we won't be the same people. What happened in the past made us who we are today."
"Our burns in the past turned out to be our blessings of the present in the future."
"Wrath is sometimes a misplaced passion. Anger is sometimes a cry of pain. Hate is sometimes a bruised and broken love."
"Let's stop blaming ourselves."