Reviews

Forevermore: A Romance Anthology by Maida Malby

cris_bookreader's review

5.0

10 additional stories and a lovely sequel to last year's "Pasko Na, My Love: A Holiday Anthology." Beautifully interwoven and seamlessly transitioned from the previous book, this collaborative work among these Filipina American authors sets the pace among romance fiction. Not only does it have steamy romance among a variety of tropes, but it also pays homage to Filipino American families through its showcase of our Filipino history, values, and traditions. A great addition to add to your Filipino American bookshelves, as there's something here for everyone, including fans of historical fiction and Filipino folklore!

alyssajp's review

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

jessicaoreads67's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a really enjoyable, fast paced, romantic anthology which I would highly recommend. All of the authors writings was captivating and moving, not a single one let the team down. I loved how they were all interconnected yet so different. And I love how they all contain the word ‘forevermore’ which is also the title. My reason for rating it down slightly is because although they were enjoyable, I didn’t feel too deep into it, I didn’t feel a connection which I feel when I really click with a book. I’m grateful to have been sent this as part of its tour in return for an honest review. 

cakt1991's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I received an ARC from the publisher (also one of the authors) and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Having really enjoyed last year’s Pasko Na My Love anthology, I was excited that there would be a follow-up this year, and it promised to be bigger and better, with even more authors participating. Forevermore, like its predecessor, is set in the same shared-world and is once again set around a single event, this time a wedding between two characters, Vida and Rafa. I also like that, in expanding the repertoire of authors, the genres represented were also expanded, going from purely contemporary to sprinklings of historical and magical realism, without losing its thematic cohesion. 

Prior to getting into my opinions about the stories themselves, I wanted to comment that I did like the choice to include everything from tropes to heat levels to content warnings alongside each story. It was very helpful to know what to expect, and sometimes what to skip, as I’ll get into more a bit later. I am a bit concerned as to whether these will be made available anywhere else, as this setup makes it impossible to view in the “preview” feature before purchasing on Amazon or other retailers. Granted, skipping one story in an anthology for content isn’t going to diminish the value of the entire book, especially one this chonky (in my personal opinion), but given the variety of themes and heat levels, I would like the option to view them elsewhere for those interested. 

Now, getting into the stories themselves:

I love that this anthology started strong with a historical, and one that ties back to the previous anthology. Mia Hopkins’ “Moonlight Serenade” follows a young Naty (Lola Naty) as she and her husband, Robert, move from the Philippines to the US after World War II. It’s a beautiful story about falling back in love, in spite of myriad challenges, from dealing with an irascible mother-in-law to financial struggles to the scars of PTSD Robert is dealing with after the war, and while it’s a lot to deal with in such a short story, it’s no less beautiful. 

“The Memory of You” by Elle Cruz was also quite interesting, although it does push the bounds of the definition of romance. But I did like it, and it pulled at my heartstrings quite a bit. 

Kaye Rockwell’s “Maybe This Time” is a solid second chance romance, reuniting two childhood best friends. Cole spends the story trying his best to make up for the past, and I really rooted for him and Gabriella to work it out. 

“Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye” by Maan Gabriel was the skip for me. Surprise pregnancy is very hit-or-miss for me, and short stories provide as little time to work through the consequences as full length third act pregnancies do. I do like the concept though, especially as it involves a romance novelist. 

“Moments in the Vineyard” by Aurora Paige was all right…I liked the concept of rival vineyard families, but it didn’t really deliver the tension and drama I wanted from a story like this. 

“Double Exposure” by June Gray was pretty sweet, and I liked how the flashbacks helped to flesh out their second chance romance in the present. While this can be hard to pull off in a short story, I feel like this story made good use of the page time/word count given here. 

“Stay With Me” by Liz Durano was another really solid one that hit emotionally. I felt for Tallie for all she’d been through, and rooted for her to find happiness and healing. 

“The Stand-In” by Sarah Smith was fun, and I really liked the chemistry between Violet and Toby. There’s solid mutual pining and a great mix of some fun tropes, like fake dating and a fairly non-toxic boss/employee dynamic. 

“Win Your Love” by Tif Marcelo stood out to me because it already subverted a trope with a fake date ghosting Alexandra, giving me a chuckle. The story then going into her rivalry with Jordan made it more fun, as the tension and chemistry was very well-done, making me root for them to finally get over it and get together. 

Maida Malby’s “Now That I Have You” perfectly closes out the anthology, featuring the lead-up to Vida and Rafa’s big day, after it being featured in the background of many of the other stories in this anthology. I loved seeing these festivities from their perspective, and all the shenanigans that ensued in the midst of it. It’s also just great to read a story between a couple already together that aren’t dealing with major challenges to their relationship, making this perfect for the short-story format. 

While some of these stories were better than others, this is still a fun anthology overall, and there really is something for every romance reader’s taste. If you’re looking for a unique collection of multicultural romance, I’d recommend checking this out!