#FilipinoFriday [4]
Maybe This Time
- C.P. Santi
- C.P. Santi
I honestly feel guilty for this late, late review! I got a free copy of this anthology from the author herself (the birthday girl that time hihi hello Ms. Santi! *waves*) and was actually looking forward to diving into this but unfortunately, I wasn't able to until just recently :(
Anyway, I first read the author back when I participated in the tour for Buqo YA bundle 3: Finding Fairytales and read When Cocoy Became Kikay. Since then, I knew her works would be an auto-read for me not only because her writing is such a beauty but also because she's really nice (plus points too 'cause co-Thomasian!)
Oh well, better late than never! And I'm really glad that Maybe This Time isn't just part of #FilipinoFriday but also, is my first review that is related to #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy yay! Loving that my birth month is also a month of celebrating something I really enjoy *hearts*
An accidental reunion . . . a sneaky plot . . . things finally falling into place.
Maybe This Time contains three heart-warming stories of love and second chances. Because when fate gives you a break, you grab the chance to finally make things right.
In Sweeter by the Second, when paintings conservator Rina David arrives for the Arts Festival in the heritage town of Jimenez, she’s reunited with Tony, the guy she once loved and lost. Now vice-mayor of Jimenez, Tony wants Rina back in his life and will do everything he can to convince her that they belong together.
Pamela Quiroz hatches a plot to get her parents back together in Exorcising my Ex. But will a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner succeed in reconciling Geno and Viv? After all, it’s been more than fifteen years since they first got together and they aren’t the hormone-driven teenagers they once were. Will wine and cheese balls still do the trick?
Torch, meet hand. Arne Weichmann has been waiting twenty-one years for Bea. Is it finally the right time to make his move and convince her that they are Meant to Be? He hopes so. Because he doesn't think he’ll survive losing the one person who brought warmth and sunshine to his life.
As the subtitle of this compilation, Maybe This Time talks about something that most people want - and most people fail to appreciate once they do: Second Chances. Going a bit personal, I think I give out second chances like it's free candy (like what I've tweeted before lol) Of course, I don't completely forget but I honestly think people are well, people and we make mistakes. Still, I believe that while we should be accountable to the things we do or say, it shouldn't stop us from changing and being a better person. Very much like the latest Mcdo commercial: Welcome change! :)
This anthology proves my point so much. Yes, I've read several stories with themes like this one but it's refreshing to see a compilation dedicated solely on this topic and yet, still manages to give each story its unique taste and spin.
The first story, Sweeter by the Second, lives up to its name. The sweetness is really evident between Rina and Tony (who btw, I imagined as Ian Veneracion's Eduardo Buenavista from Pangako Sa'yo 2015 haha!) I also loved how I managed to get a glimpse of the beauty that is Misamis Occidental. It sounds so lovely and the people, so warm! Plotwise, I found it...interesting. I mean, yes, it was a bit cliched but there's this sense of "newness" to it that you'd still want to read on and know how things fell into place. Speaking of it, I loved the conclusion! The characters' decisions were actually the total opposite of what I expected them to do. Nonetheless, I can say that it was a lovely surprise *wink*
Moving on, the second story is actually my favorite. Exorcising My Ex was funny, heart-warming, and just simply beautiful. I liked the opening sequence as well as the plot twist that it entailed (@/self, it was written in the blurb why were you so surprised???) Geno and Viv showed that maturity is the key. They acknowledged their mistakes and did their best to right their wrongs during their past and I think that is the important thing. Another aspect that I liked is the overall youthful vibe of the story. Come on! Cheeseballs? Arcade? Full-grown adults watching (and obviously enjoying) Aldub? Sold! Lastly, the ending was really cute!! :3 Candidate for the best daughter awardee: Pam!
Meant to Be, the last entry in the anthology, gave me Love, Rosie feels! I mean, 21 years??? Also, as a fan of love stories which starts out as friendship, this one really hits the spot! However, minor problem I've had was that I couldn't get much into Arne's character. I know it was stressed out in the story that he and Bea only had 5 years between them (he was 17 and she was 12 when they first met) but whenever he calls her "sunshine" I couldn't help but think of an old man - grandfather levels - and a little girl who sells cookies but maybe it's just me though LOL :) Nonetheless, I liked the set-up also reminded me of the pinoy telenovelas in which everyone in the family is simply rooting for the leads to get together and be done with it (they even had bets! hahaha!) Of course, the ending phrase was absolute perfection and I guess, summarized the heart of the whole anthology:
"In His Time"
"It's kind of poetic, but I realized now that every step apart we took only brought us closer together." - Rina (Sweeter by the Second)
“(...) I knew that this wasn't the end. Because even after everything we've been through, we've only just begun.” - Rina (Sweeter by the second)
"I guess we got so caught up living the lives we thought we ought to have, that we drifted apart.” -Geno (Exorcising My Ex)
“Maybe the answer to my prayers came too early. Maybe she was right beside me all along.” -Geno (Exorcising My Ex)
Lately I noticed that I've been reading lots of anthologies. I've always liked short stories since because of my busy schedule, I can't *commit* to full length novels (AKA stories I couldn't finish during my entire commute to/from work lol)
I may not be able to relate much to the characters (because I kinda expected this to be YA-ish haha!) but I can say that they gave lessons that one could find inspiring.
I'm really happy that I've read this one! Ms. Santi's writing never fails :) Looking forward to reading more of her works in the future! And if you guys haven't yet, I highly suggest you do asap :)
I may not be able to relate much to the characters (because I kinda expected this to be YA-ish haha!) but I can say that they gave lessons that one could find inspiring.
I'm really happy that I've read this one! Ms. Santi's writing never fails :) Looking forward to reading more of her works in the future! And if you guys haven't yet, I highly suggest you do asap :)
Four out of five rating for C.P. Santi's Maybe This Time!
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| 4/5 Rating! :) |
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