Josefa Hanabella Valiente is the ugly girl of Altagracia. She is often bullied because of her ugly looks. Binansagan siyang ng maraming pangit na pangalan at nasanay na siya roon. Now that her father's dead, everyone bullied her more. The people of Altagracia hated her father's deeds and she can't do anything about it. Tanging ang pusa niya na lang ang kakampi dahil mismong ang kamag-anak ay masama rin ang trato sa kanya. Her heart got broken and she swore to herself that she would never be that helpless bullied girl again.
In time, she earned her place and is now popular, the way she wanted it. Pero nang bumalik ang lalaking bumasag sa bata niyang puso, bumabalik ang mga pangarap niya noon. Her daydreams came back, too and she didn't know what to do. Her daydreams that consist of many things. Including holding him close.
Jonahmae Pacala (publishing as Jonaxx) was never fond of reading longnovels during her elementary years but found a deep connection with sshort sad stories. She discovered her flair for writing at the early age of ten. What was once a hobby has now grown into a passion for writing online.
I really love this story. Unlike other Jonaxx's stories that I've read, this one is very different. Let me list them down below: (well, it's just actually 3 things though, hahaha) 1. The female lead is introduced not very pretty like I normally read in her stories 2. The story is very light but the kilig is still there. No heavy bed scenes but let me tell you, this story will still keep you awake. 3. Cats. And lots of cats. Hahahaha
I love that the female character was portrayed like that. I love how she was able to grow from this once bullied girl and now a very successfull person. Aside from that, I love the fact that there's no stressful and straining characters, ofcourse she has a lot of bullies, but it didn't really irked me that much to the point that I want to kulam them, hahahaha.
Just because I said I loved that it was a light read, I have to say that I'm still interested to see a little action hahahaha.
Read it guys and I'm sure Jonnaxx will not disappoint ;)
A lot of chapters in this book made me cry. Yohan is probably the Jonaxx heroine that I sympathize most with (and also the character that I cried for the most) because, in a way, I can relate to her. The insecurities, the numerous self-depracating moments, the lack of self-esteem, the longing to be loved for who she was, the battle for acceptance.
I personally don't know how to comfort people, but I wanted to comfort her so damn much. Especially when she was bullied relentlessly and humiliated countless of times.
Consequently, I was really glad when she slowly built her confidence as time went on and how she built significant relationships with people that cared for her. I also commend the fact that she was able to do that without relying on Alvaro, or on anyone for that matter, but herself.
So why not 5 stars, you ask? Honestly, it's because of Alvaro. I admittedly like him as a character and I appreciate how he showed how much he cared for Yohan when they were reunited. However, I didn't really feel the "kilig" between him and Yohan as I wasn't wholly convinced with the fact that he was in love with her. I also felt like, for a main character, he was underdeveloped and somewhat flat. I barely knew who he was until the epilogue (and even that wasn't enough for me to completely gauge his character).
Also, I would've loved to have seen more substantial interactions between Yohan and Alvaro as the years progressed since there were only a few of those, and those little interactions didn't really convince me enough that he fell in love with her. But aside from those, I thought that this book was really good. The second book is still my favorite, but this one is a close second.
And one more thing. I think that this trilogy really showcase Jonaxx's dexterity as a creator and portray how much she has improved as a writer. 👌
HAHAHAHSHAHHAHAHAHAH INAMO ALVARO ISANG TAONG KILIG ATA BINIGAY MO SAKIN HAHSHSHAHAHA AAAAAAAAAAA LORD WHEN
okay on a serious note, i love how smooth the story. yung slow burn from crush to friends to still friends to jowaan stage, SIGN ME UP. And honestly I love na finally may Jonaxx Men na angat yung playful personality and totoong playboy. Basta nakakakilig to the point na maiinis ka kay yohan and alvaro kasi ang harot nilang dalawa. Anywayz, letche ka Captain Alvaro grabe mga banat mo next 2 years pa ako matatapos kiligin.
EDIT:
And also a love that makes you comfortable, compromise, and reassures you? AAAAAAAAA
Reading Hold Me Close by Jonaxx felt like experiencing love in its purest, most natural form. It didn’t feel forced or overly dramatic—just raw, sincere, and deeply touching. This book holds a genuine story for me, one that I will carry for a long time.
One of the things I loved most was how the cat, Kuring, became the bridge between Alvaro and Yohan. It was so heartwarming to see how such a small, innocent creature became the beginning of something beautiful. Kuring witnessed the journey of their love from start to finish, and somehow, it made everything feel more real and special.
There was a part in the story that truly broke my heart—when Yohan, after being bullied so much, developed trauma to the point where simple laughter from others made her feel like she was the target. I felt her pain deeply. I understood how cruel the world could be, especially when people let their judgments define others. And what hurt even more was how Alvaro—who always tried to protect her—had to make a painful decision. He confessed something that deeply hurt Yohan, just to stop others from bullying her. That moment shattered me, but it also showed how much he was willing to sacrifice just to protect the woman he loved.
What I hated was the unfair treatment and prejudice based on social status. Just because someone is rich, people assume they can’t genuinely love someone who isn’t. But this story proved otherwise. Love does not look at your wallet or background. It sees your heart, your principles, and how deep you’re willing to love. Hold Me Close reminded me that being poor doesn’t mean you’re less deserving. And being rich doesn’t mean you have everything—especially when you lack love and values.
Alvaro’s character made me laugh a lot. His playful words and witty lines gave the story lightness in the middle of all the heavy emotions. And despite everything, he remained consistent. He never left Yohan behind, no matter how hard things got.
This story also taught me that our words have power. They can break, heal, or change someone’s life. That’s why we must be careful with what we say, especially to the people we love.
Hold Me Close is not just a title—it’s a feeling. It made me hold the book tightly to my chest and not want to let go. It gave me comfort, laughter, pain, and lessons all in one. Alvaro and Yohan are proof that even in the chaos of life, love can still win. She is the commander of her journey, and he will always be the captain of her heart.
And to me, they will always be the captains of mine. This story now has a permanent place in my heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
this story didn’t stick out to me as much as the other 2. i still did enjoy it though. seeing crumbs and the characters from the other books made me giddy.
this book is a vital piece to the series as it answers some of the unanswered questions i had from the other books (what happened to chantal and soren). although, i get so bothered with the timelines. it gets kind of confusing since it doesn’t really mention how many years has passed + the age gaps of the characters, i feel like it should have been mentioned how near/far their ages are (especially for the main leads of all 3 books).
yohan is such an admirable character. i felt proud when she started slowly overcoming her insecurities and started being a confident and better version of herself. alvaro though… he didn’t really capture my attention much tbh. i couldn’t really feel the chemistry between the both of them too, which is why i’m rating this with a 2.5 or maybe 3 stars.
just a small thought, we can’t deny that aria is nasty. across the story, she’s no angel but her nastiness sure did lessen. i just wish there was a deeper explanation for the way she treated her cousin. her being a bitch to yohan because she’s “ugly” is shallow, and i want to know why she just stopped bullying her after the poetry incident. sure there was an unsuspecting event but it was still so random and sudden. it was so out of character of her.
reading the conversation aria had with alvaro on his pov, it’s weird that she threatened him to not hurt her cousin when all she and her friends did was hurt her. her reasoning being because she’s family is just insane. if she was just teasing yohan then i would get it but miss girl was full on bullying her. i need explanations, girl !!
Although fiction, this series seem to have a closer connection to reality. At least sa ugali ng characters, and sa conflicts. At sobrang naappreciate ko na sila after rereading. For one, Leandro was able to overcome his pain to pursue Chayo. Alonzo, the soft boy, kahit hindi nya alam if Sancha is with another person na, he still came back for her. And Alvaro huhu, sobrang naappreciate ko tong lalaking to kasi in his own way, he wanted Yohan to be free with him, lamoyon? He used to throw jokes whenever they converse para gumaan ang loob ni Yohan sa kanya because he knew how uncomfortable she is with other people. At sa lahat? LEVI. oh my god LEVI!!! The sweet kuya to Chayo, one of the few who didn’t judged and fought for Sancha, at ang isa sa tumulong na mabuild ang confidence ni Yohan. (Aminin, nakakahinayang na wala syang story sa app.)
Anyway, aside sa cls, del fierro, at gls, may isang series na akong magiging comfort read. 🥺🥺 Nakakabilib nga naman masubaybayan ang pangangarap ng hinahangaan mo, at ang kaalaman na naabot nila ito ay napaka-sarap sa pakiramdam. Ramdam na ramdam ko ito sa jgirls ng series na to. Because unlike the others, they were from an average family, but they were passionate, and persevered to achieve their dreams. KAKAINGGIT!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Among the books in the series, this is my most favorite! Absolutely 5 stars!
I just love how this story progressed, how it was all about Yohan’s development from an insecure shy girl to a kind-hearted strong woman. It feels like Alvaro was just a side character and this whole book revolves around Yohan’s life and it’s okay for me.
The later scenes when Alvaro was courting Yohan, courting and showing her how much she means to him is so heartwarming, and I love that she didn’t immediately gave in! Haha, this book is really about her.
And I love the Epilogue too, I love reading Alvaro’s point of view and since I re-read this on a physical copy, there is a special chapter with his POV as well and I must say that this was my favorite special chapter among all the Jonaxx’s physical book that I have! It shows a different side of Alvaro and I love it!!
I started my review with a complain that the ATH book was not properly proofed read since there were lots of errors, also the other books and the special insert book too (Chantal and Levi’s) had minimal errors too. They were readable naman, but still a little bit disappointed. But overall, this is a very heartwarming book series of Jonaxx among others! As always 💕
It's a comfort book. There wasn't much problems compared to book 1 and 2. I just feel like, it dragged on too long? And even though nakaabot na sa dulo, parang hiyang-hiya pa rin si Yohan? I just think that their chemistry wasn't as strong. But overall, the way it was written was somehow cute.
Gigil lang talaga ako sa mga bullies. It came to the point wherein I ask myself 'does this really happen?'. It was just too childish and made me quite irritated. I hoped that there was also a part that Yohan stands up for herself confidently and talks against her bully, but sadly I didn't get to read that.
Hold Me Close is one of Jonaxx's stories that will be very close to my heart. Somehow, I relate to the female lead character a lot. It is different compared to her other stories (the whole Azucarera series) and I love it. It doesn't have a heavy plot (only the first book) but it's a breath of fresh air.
I admire Alvaro and Yohan's relationship and how they handle their own strengths, weaknesses, and insecurities. The Wakas part really got me. My heart hurts so good, good for them. I hope I can read more stories like these! ♡
CAP ALAGAAN MO RIN AKO PLEASE🙏🙏🙏 captain alvaro satander is the greenest of them all!!! alvaro has such a kind heart, he always defends yohan because people always bully her. oh to be loved and cared by my dearest alvaro is such a need! will never shut up about how alvaro said "mahal na mahal. okay na?" infront of everybody, and "yohan, mahal kita" AAAAAAAA GRABE KA NA CAP😔😔 i love alvaro's persistence and the way he assures yohan is just 😩😩😩 my captain and commander i love you both so much :)) my baby yohan and alvaro satander is so underrated, i love them soooo much💗💗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have read this book many times already, and the feeling is still the same. It is the kind of slow burn that I like with a touch of childhood friends turning to lovers. I like Yohan's build-up character- the ugly duckling, her struggles until she grew into a beautiful woman. I love how the narrative highlighted that most society only validates people who appear attractive. It also proves that pretty privilege does exist.
reading this reminds and proves that this is my favorite book in the series 🩷 the series as a whole is so wholesome and feels like home, especially this one 🫠 alvaro and yohan's relationship reminds me of my own so i love it much more now than i did before 🤭 i also loved that they have 3 cats and it was because of yohan why alvaro came to love cats 🥰 it just wholesome and cute i love them so much 🤧
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book shows the essence of slow burn romance. I'm really inlove with how cheezy Alvaro is. Although I must say that I was a little annoyed with Yohan, I know to myself that I can't blame her. Overall, this book is amazing.
i can’t relate to yohan because i was never ugly and never bullied but i felt that i was somehow belong in the story. maybe because of kuring. rawr. loved kuring sm!
Paalala: Nasa limang taong agwat ng mga bida. Kung sensitibo ka sa mga ganito, siguro huwag mo ng ituloy.
Ikalawang beses ko na 'tong binasa. Ang una, nung pandemic pa kaya halos limot ko na ano yung mga nangyari sa kwento. Pero itong kwento na 'to ang pinakamalapit sa puso ko kasi isa rin akong furmom, 5 yung pusa ko kaso namatay lang yung 2. Kaya naman naiintindihan ko yung nararamdaman ni Yohan nung nakita niya yung kuting na si Kuring. Ang cute lang kasi na pati si Alvaro na hindi naman mahilig sa pusa, natutunan niya ring alagaan yung pusa.
Hindi lang siya simpleng kwentong pag-ibig, tinatalakay rin dito ang tungkol sa bullying. Talagang napapaiyak pa rin ako sa mga nangyari kay Yohan. Ang laking epekto talaga ng bullying sa kanya kay siya nawalan ng kumpyansa sa sarili. Wala rin siyang kaibigan dahil na rin sa mga ginawa ng ama.
Kahit hindi ko man naranasan ang mga naranasan niya, talagang nasaktan din ako. Habang binabasa ko ang kanyang mga saloobin, talagang tagos sa puso yung mga linya. Grabe! Ramdam na ramdam ko yung mga masasakit na salitang sinasabi sa kanya. Hindi ko maisip kung gaano yun kasakit sa taong nakakaranas ng pang-aapi. Kaya isipin nating mabuti kung ano ang ating sasabihin sa iba dahil hindi natin alam kung anong magiging epekto nito sa kanila.
P.S.: Kaya sa mga kwento na lang talaga ako naniniwalang may mga lalaking matapat. Isipin mo sundalo si Alvaro pero wala raw siyang naging kasintahan habang nadidistino sa iba't ibang lugar. HAHAHAHAHA!