Reviews

Pasko Na, My Love by Maida Malby, Elle Cruz, Mia Hopkins, Maan Gabriel, Tif Marcelo, Sarah Smith, Preslaysa Williams

bookishmillennial's review

 disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial 

Each of the stories revolves around a different family member of a big Filipino family, the Moores, in Napa. Their stories are interconnected around their Lola’s 100th birthday & the stories run seamlessly into each other! I know I’m biased because I’m Filipino but I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to read these stories & see this representation, especially the themes surrounding first & second-generation immigrant experiences, forgiveness, hope & more. I can’t tell you how magical that feels, to see your family members & your culture so beautifully & authentically represented in a book. 

carrie_e's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

jamae's review

4.0

A collection of short stories that center around one central story. So well done! All the different writing styles made the entire experience so fun.

jenilee's review

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

freshcementpage's review

hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

alyssajp's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

kath_reads's review

inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

cakt1991's review

emotional lighthearted 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 authors and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Pasko Na, My Love is a truly unique holiday collection, in that it focuses on Christmas traditions from a Filipino-American lens, which I admit to not knowing a ton about prior to picking up this book. And I love the overall concept of this collection, focusing on various members of an large extended family and their friends coming together for the simultaneous celebrations of Christmas and their Lola Naty’s 100th birthday. There’s a great sense of the bonds of family and the spirit of home embedded through all the stories, regardless of how different each individual romance is. 

“Last Minute” by Sarah Smith is my favorite, as despite being short, it’s super sweet and does the misunderstanding well. Ruby and Mason are genuinely good people who tried to do the right thing. “Volcanic Love” by Elle Cruz is a sexy and sweet brother’s best friend/second chance book, and fulfills expectations of the title. “The Deal” by Tif Marcelo explores an estranged family member’s attempt to make amends; finding new romance in the process. “Illicit” by Mia Hopkins handles the taboo of a relationship dynamic between a priest and his childhood friend well that some might object to very well, although I feel like this is a case where I felt his perspective was sorely missed to substantiate his spiritual journey. “So It’s You” by Maida Malby also explored a taboo in the form of a forbidden romance between Lola Naty’s beloved granddaughter and the younger physician tending to her grandmother, and the tension is absolutely beautiful. 

I liked the idea of “My Only Love” by Maan Gabriel, but I admit to bringing a lot of baggage about political romances into my reading here. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the explicit statement that “she’s fighting for women’s rights” as a counterpoint to him being “on his way to the White House.” And there’s little mention of his political affiliation in-text, as far as I could tell. Granted, they are former classmates from law school, and as far as exploring the former tension between them and how it still lingers, it does so pretty well. But the pitch for this strayed a little too close to “she’s a liberal who fights for equal rights, and he’s fighting to take them away” for my taste. 

Regardless of any quibbles, major or minor, I had, I did like this collection overall, and it’s not surprising, since I enjoy the work of several of these authors. If you’re looking for something fun to read this Christmas, I recommend this anthology for your consideration!