"I don't believe that you're somehow COMPLETED by romantic love. You aren't born half a person, doomed to drift through life unfulfilled until you find someone who can validate you. You're a whole person with a whole life, that you might choose to share with another person. Or you might not. Your body and mind is your own. Your happiness is your responsibility and your right."

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!❤

#romantsy #bookandcoffee

Every year on Valentine‘s Day, I post a list of fictional couples I‘ve loved from books that I‘ve read in the previous year. This is the NINTH edition of this list, I feel like such an old blogger. 😭😂 Blog post here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/favorite-literary-couples-2018/

#romantsy #romanceclass #blog

For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I talked about my recommended #romanceclass titles. You can start with these if you're curious about Filipino romance! Check out the full list here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/top-ten-tuesday-romanceclass-recommenda...

#blog #romantsy

Today's field trip was to the #BookBingeBazaar for @dwnrnsfst's book signing for the revised and expanded edition of the poetry book The Last Time I'll Write About You, published internationally by Andrews McMeel. There were tons of books on sale at the book bazaar but I only bought Dawn's book.

More pictures here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfBisX2lCV3/

#poetry #romanceclass

#FriYayIntro hosted by @jesshowbooks

1. I don't really follow winter Olympics
2. Depends on what the reader wants but usually Megan Whalen Turner, Ilona Andrews, Lucy Parker, Laura Florand and @minavesguerra
3. March
4. I saw The Greatest Showman the other day and it was so much fun
5. Happy Birthday, February babies!🎂

Pile of books that I've passed on to @bentchbites because sharing is caring 👌📚

#fantasy

Met up with my friend @bentchbites earlier today for lunnch and coffee. We chatted about the #romanceclass community (which we're both part of), books and Litsy.🙌 Tagging the anthology which has one of his short stories.

#bookishmeetup

This book has gotten a lot of buzz on romance Twitter, featuring a couple on a reality TV dance competition. I was hoping I'd enjoy it. Unfortunately, there was way too much dramarama for me. The pace was so slow that I found myself skimming some parts. I really wanted to enjoy this but sadly, I have to say that this wasn't my cup of tea.

Fuller review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Be3KS4_Fld_/
#romantsy #booksandtea #bookanddessert

If you're interested in giving Filipino romance a try, I created a Twitter thread of #romanceclass titles currently available for 0.99usd. Check it out here: https://twitter.com/chachic_/status/960778805592784896

#romantsy

Smooth writing that's easy to get into, featuring a professional MMA fighter as a hero and a feminist heroine who works in a women's crisis center. They hook up in Vegas but part ways soon after, only to see each other again in Chicago four years later. There were scenes that sparkled with wit and humor, and the sexytimes were smoking hot.

Longer review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeyDZGZFDR-/ #romanceclass #romantsy #booksandcoffee

Take the Lead is another contemporary #romantsy title that I keep hearing good things about on romance Twitter. I waited for it to go on sale, and one clicked when it was just 1.99usd.

#Kindledeals

His Perfect Partner is a #romantsy title that has been getting a lot of buzz on romance Twitter. I grabbed a copy while it was just 0.99usd.

#Kindledeals

My current read and yesterday's pink lemonade.🍋🍋🍋

#romanceclass #romantsy

These adorable bookmarks were given as freebies by author Carla de Guzman in yesterday's #romanceclass event.

#romantsy

Today's #romanceclass event was a YA workshop that was free for students and teachers thanks to the community's Patreon sponsors. I joined the event as a volunteer, more photos and details here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BevhFuEl1R6/

This is one YA fantasy that didn't work for me. I read until past the halfway mark and was so bored that I just skimmed until the end just to see if it would get better (spoiler alert: it doesn't). It didn't feel like the character had enough substance so I wasn't invested in them at all. The worldbuilding was also flawed, I mean if fair folk are not supposed to feel any kind of emotion, how could one of them fall in love? I didn't get it.

1. I'm in the Philippines, American football isn't really a thing here. The most association I've had with it is when I read sports romance.😅
2. I googled and it's 31° C
3. Just finished An Enchantment of Ravens and about to start Submission Moves by Camilla Sisco
4. SO MANY! Athens and the Greek Islands, Spain‘s Andalusia region, Rome, Venice, the Italian coast, Cote d' Azur, Rothenburg, Brussels, etc.
5. 🖑

#FriYayIntro by @jesshowbooks

Truffle fries and the new edition of Love Your Frenemies by @minavesguerra

#romanceclass #romantsy

New in my Kindle! I've been wanting to read this book since I saw an excerpt of it being read out loud during #FeelsSoProm. The author very kindly sent me a Kindle copy earlier today. Yay!🙌

#romanceclass #romantsy

Happy launch week to Start Here, the latest #romanceclass anthology featuring male/male, female/female, and female/non-binary short stories.🙌 Today's the last day that it's available for 1.99usd. Congrats, editors and authors! Looking forward to reading these stories, particularly Lemon Drop Friday by Brij Bautista and The Other Story by @bentchbites, which we all got snippets of during last Saturday's #FeelsSoProm live readings.

#romantsy

#romanceclass is a community of readers and authors of indie-pubbed Filipino-romance-in-English. #FeelsSoProm was the fun-filled, prom-themed romanceclass event held last Saturday. Prom outfits were worn, books were sold, live readings were performed and shenanigans were had. More pics here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeijGcLFAfZ/

#FriYayIntro hosted by @jesshowbooks

1. I love desserts! So there's a lot that I can name, but I'll stick to artisan dark chocolate as a safe answer for now.
2. I refuse to sign up for Netflix because I know I wouldn't have any sleeping time left if I did.
3. None that I can remember recently.
4. Since September 2016!
5. 🙌🙌🙌

Happy Friday, everyone!🎉🎉🎉

Look who's reading a physical book!😅

#fantasy #YAfantasy

Second book in the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series. I liked the character development but I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one because it's a murder mystery and I found bits of it creepy, more horror than urban fantasy. I admit that I'm a big scaredy-cat but I really stay away from horror as a genre. Fuller review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeYDOiulzNe/

#urbanfantasy #booksandcoffee

I enjoyed reading this first installment in the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series. It came highly recommended by Lucy Parker, and I'm glad I liked it well enough to continue with the series. It has an age gap, slow burn romance.👌 I don't want to stress myself out cutting my review short to fit the character limit so linking to my original bookstagram instead: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeV0_GsF-qe/

#urbanfantasy #romantsy #booksandcoffee

That Kind of Guy @minavesguerra is currently a freebie on Kindle! Grab this #romanceclass title here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XHN3HWY

Included in the shot are my matcha latte and Japanese-style cheesecake that's light and fluffy, in original and earl grey flavors.😋🍰🧀

#romantsy #Kindledeals #booksandtea #bookandessert

When you try to take a nice bookstagram/Litsy shot but spill coffee on your skirt instead.😂☕📚

#booksandcoffee #urbanfantasy

#booksanddinner! I had roast pork belly when I met up with @kochtob and another friend of ours for dinner and a movie. Heads up, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is currently a Kindle deal for just 1.99usd! It's the first book in my all-time favorite the Queen's Thief series.

#Kindledeals #fantasy

1. Usually my bed
2. Both, whatever's nearest
3. After a chapter or end of a section
4. Yes to both
5. No, I'd get distracted
6. I can read maybe up to 3 books at a time but 1 is preferable
7. I'm okay with both!
8. Silently
9. I'm always tempted to do that but I try to curb the curiosity
10. Keep it like new (but I mostly read ebooks now)
11. Thanks for the tag, @bentchbites 🙌 I tag @RealLifeReading

#ReadingHabits

This book has been on my wishlist ever since I first heard about it. So I was delighted to receive this as a belated Christmas present from my friend. The only book that I received for Christmas. I mostly read ebooks nowadays but of course I loved getting a physical copy of this gorgeous book, with the cover designed by Charlie Bowater. And now I can ask, what book/s did you receive for Christmas?🎄🎁

#fantasy

Current read is the first book in the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series: Kindling the Moon. This was another title recommended by Lucy Parker on Twitter and it's only 1.99usd on Kindle so I don't mind giving it a try.

#urbanfantasy #romantsy

I'm not a huge fan of Regency romances, I enjoy them while I'm reading them but they all tend to blur together in my mind afterwards. I normally don't read one unless it comes highly recommended, which was the case with this book. Lucy Parker was very enthusiastic in recommending this Pride & Prejudice retelling, I have to thank her for it because I stayed up until early morning to read this in one go.

(Continued in comments)

I have been curious about Sagala by ever since I saw that both @itstimeana and @minavesguerra loved it. Sagala is a Filipino historical fantasy in comics format, featuring siblings Riel and Constantino. I was surprised at how the author was able to include such strong worldbuilding and character development in the short length of these issues. I'm fully invested in these characters, can't wait to find out what happens to them next.

I participated in this week's Top Ten Tuesday, and wrote about my bookish resolutions and goals on the blog: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/ten-bookish-resolutions/

#blog

"Where there's life there's hope" is a line from one of my all-time favorite books, The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Always good to be reminded of this during troubled times. We must never lose hope.

Not much of a historical romance reader but this Pride and Prejudice retelling came highly recommended by one of my favorite authors, Lucy Parker.

#romantsy #bookanddessert #bookandtea

Not sure if you guys clicked on the blog post I linked earlier, but making it easier for everyone by sharing a screenshot of the #romantsy titles I'm looking forward to reading in 2018. Full blog post here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/01/14/my-anticipated-2018-titles/

#blog #romanceclass

I wrote a blog post about 2018 releases I'm looking forward to, check it out here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/01/14/my-anticipated-2018-titles/

Are you looking forward to any of the titles in my list? What other 2018 releases are you excited for?

#blog #fantasy #romantsy

1. Crunchy!
2. I've only read two books so far and I liked them but hesitate in calling them faves or best books so far.
3. Read! Maybe meet some friends
4. Tough one, the traveler in me chooses speak every language but the fantasy reader in me wants to talk to animals
5. I think the university system here in the Philippines is different, we don't have minors. My major was in electronics and communications engineering

#FriYayIntro @jesshowbooks

A Princess in Theory by @alyssacolelit is one of my 2018 anticipated titles. So imagine my delight when Alyssa offered to send an early copy all the way to the Philippines, yay!🙌 THANK YOU so much, Alyssa. Looking forward to reading this royal romance featuring a heroine in the STEM industry! What about you, what are 2018 titles that you're excited for?

#romantsy #booksandcoffee #coffee

Took this photo mostly to reassure @Angieville that I have a copy of this book in my Kindle, should I be in the mood to reread.😊📚

#fantasy #duplicates

I'm hosting a Twitter giveaway in order to declutter my bookshelves. Philippines only, since I can't afford international shipping right now. Also, Filipino readers miss out on so many giveaways so I like passing on books to fellow Filipino readers.🙌 Click on this link if you want to check it out: https://twitter.com/chachic_/status/951124781872553984

"Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet."

#bookandtea #bookandessert #fantasy

Finally posted my best of 2017 list on the blog! Check it out here: https://chachic.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/best-of-2017/

#blog

Freebie alert!

#romantsy #freebie #Kindledeals

Always ready to Kindle! Currently reading The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. Only my second read for the year, it's been slow going because of post-holiday gatherings. I'm going to hibernate soon to catch up on reading. How many books have you read in 2018 so far? 📖📚

#fantasy #bookishshirt #booksandcoffee #bookanddessert

I caved and bought The Bird and the Nightingale's sequel for 13.99usd because I wanted to read it while the story is still fresh in my mind. I realized that I find it difficult to convince myself to buy pricey Kindle editions for fantasy titles because romance ebooks are a lot more affordable. The hardcover edition would have been about the same price, and I actually prefer ebooks nowadays. I just need to get used to this price range for fantasy.

Spinach gorgonzola dip, served with crostini was the other half of my dinner. Again, book in this shot is currently a freebie!

#romantsy #romanceclass #freebie #Kindledeals

#bookanddinner! Squash soup was half of my dinner. Haven't read this Filipino romance in English yet, but I wanted to highlight it because it's currently a freebie on Amazon.

#romantsy #romanceclass #freebie #Kindledeals

My first read in 2018, which came highly recommended by my friend Kristen (fantasycafe on Twitter). It started off real slow, I feel like the first half could have been edited better. But the pace picked up and I enjoyed it overall. An atmospheric read that has a fairytale feel, set in medieval Russia, steeped in folklore of that era. I've been itching to read a good fantasy book and this hit the spot.

#fantasy