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A review by ccl1029
Delight by Moras Dela Paz
4.0
If I had to describe Delight by Moras Dela Paz in one word it would be: wholesome. I had always been a sucker for fluffy romance and this book definitely delivers the "kilig" (a thrill felt when something romantic occurs) in a natural manner. And the fact that it's a slow burn romance makes my heart swell with happiness because it definitely showed that great things happen when you wait. Romance though was just part of the bigger picture. The core of the story lies on the journey of growing up and the changes it entails.
The story is told in the third person interchanging sometimes between Serena's and Eli's point of view. It mainly showed Serena's journey from childhood to her early 20s overlapping with Eli's own experiences. It included friendship, romance, family, insecurities and experiences in school. The themes on self, family, friends, love and career that Delight had captured delightfully surprised me. (See what I did there?). I also love that the setting is in the Philippines so the book was full of Filipino traditions and themes.
Although, I have noticed that at times the story felt reliant on the narration of what happened rather than showing it. In my opinion, this takes the reader away in the present moment of the scene and can unfortunately lessen its impact.
Another delightful surprise in the book is the talks on loving one's own body. I believe many of us can relate to weight and/or body issues. So it felt empowering to read how Serena embraced her insecurities regarding her body and to love herself a little bit more. It was definitely a powerful message that the author was able to show through this book especially this scene with Serena and Eli:
"You think you can look a certain type but I bet those girls who you compare yourself to have loads of things that they don't like about themselves too. You look at yourself and you see a mountain of flaws." Eli looked at her in the eyes. "You know what I see when I look at you?"
"What?" She said in a small voice, almost like a whisper. If he wasn't standing close by,
he probably wouldn't hear it.
"I see someone I really like," Eli admitted.
Absolutely swoon worthy if you ask me! Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this and I will definitely look forward to the 2nd book of the series.
The story is told in the third person interchanging sometimes between Serena's and Eli's point of view. It mainly showed Serena's journey from childhood to her early 20s overlapping with Eli's own experiences. It included friendship, romance, family, insecurities and experiences in school. The themes on self, family, friends, love and career that Delight had captured delightfully surprised me. (See what I did there?). I also love that the setting is in the Philippines so the book was full of Filipino traditions and themes.
Although, I have noticed that at times the story felt reliant on the narration of what happened rather than showing it. In my opinion, this takes the reader away in the present moment of the scene and can unfortunately lessen its impact.
Another delightful surprise in the book is the talks on loving one's own body. I believe many of us can relate to weight and/or body issues. So it felt empowering to read how Serena embraced her insecurities regarding her body and to love herself a little bit more. It was definitely a powerful message that the author was able to show through this book especially this scene with Serena and Eli:
"You think you can look a certain type but I bet those girls who you compare yourself to have loads of things that they don't like about themselves too. You look at yourself and you see a mountain of flaws." Eli looked at her in the eyes. "You know what I see when I look at you?"
"What?" She said in a small voice, almost like a whisper. If he wasn't standing close by,
he probably wouldn't hear it.
"I see someone I really like," Eli admitted.
Absolutely swoon worthy if you ask me! Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this and I will definitely look forward to the 2nd book of the series.