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takarakei's review
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? No
3.0
I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if not for how it started. I am just really not a fan of the instant-attraction, hookup trope (like they are hooking up in the first few pages - that's really fast) and that really tainted the rest of the book for me. The hook-up also just seemed rather unrealistic: a famous actress meets a man in her hallway and invites him in and not 5 mins later they are getting intimate? I would have much preferred an initial meeting and attraction that didn't lead immediately to them hooking up. I think their romance could have been more well developed in general as well because it still felt very surface level physical-attraction based. Once we got more into the story Olivia and Mon's character interactions were cute, at times a bit cheesy, but fitting for their characters.
There's great Filipino representation and I definitely appreciated reading a romance very connected with that culture. Sure there's lots of words that I didn't know the meaning of, but it's not my culture and I got the gist of those parts. I'm sure that Filipinos reading this will appreciate the language and references! Lots of discussions around Olivia being a BIPOC/South Asian actress working in Hollywood (constantly dealing with racism and just wishing to be cast for roles that don't hide ethnicity).
This clearly was also written at the height of the pandemic and there were lots of specific topical references that I think in a short time might make this book read a bit outdated.
Spice: 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.
There's great Filipino representation and I definitely appreciated reading a romance very connected with that culture. Sure there's lots of words that I didn't know the meaning of, but it's not my culture and I got the gist of those parts. I'm sure that Filipinos reading this will appreciate the language and references! Lots of discussions around Olivia being a BIPOC/South Asian actress working in Hollywood (constantly dealing with racism and just wishing to be cast for roles that don't hide ethnicity).
This clearly was also written at the height of the pandemic and there were lots of specific topical references that I think in a short time might make this book read a bit outdated.
Spice: 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Sexual content
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
duckyreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Manila Takes Manhattan is a sweet celebrity romance between a Filipino music producer and a Filipino-American A-list actress filming in New York City. This is my first Carla de Guzman story, and I really enjoyed her writing style and her rich inclusion of Filipino culture. It's clear that she has intimate knowledge about the immigrant experience as well.
It's very easy to care about Olivia and Mon, and how they depend on each other and get to know each other. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a steamy read full with Filipino culture and delicious food.
A brief glossary at the end of the story that compiled all of the different phrases and food would be a great way for people unfamiliar with Filipino culture to have a reference point as a lot of cultural references vary person to person, something that Olivia experiences in the story herself.
It's very easy to care about Olivia and Mon, and how they depend on each other and get to know each other. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a steamy read full with Filipino culture and delicious food.
A brief glossary at the end of the story that compiled all of the different phrases and food would be a great way for people unfamiliar with Filipino culture to have a reference point as a lot of cultural references vary person to person, something that Olivia experiences in the story herself.
Thank you to Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Racism
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