Ellie Manuel is a hopeless romantic, stuck in a cubicle all day. She's in her twenties and should be having more fun. But instead of doing what she really wants, like traveling wherever her Philippine passport can take her, she's hung up on the guy who dumped her for not being "ambitious enough." Someone should tell her that there are other cool guys -- who probably even eat at the same office cafeteria! -- who would encourage her just to be her fabulous self.
Playing Autumn was my first Mina V. Esguerra book. I'll be honest: I first ran into Mina on Twitter, and I liked her so much, I asked her to do a Q&A. (You can read that here.) Once I learned more about her books, I had to give one of them a try, so I bought Playing Autumn for iBooks on my iPhone (the only way I can read ebooks, until I get a Kindle or some other fancy e-reader). ;)
Right away, I could tell that I was going to like Playing Autumn. The book is centered around a musicians' mentoring festival, which interested me right away. Music is the soundtrack to my life, getting me through the hard times. The characters all had great chemistry and, despite their differences, were fun to observe in their interactions. And the chemistry between Haley and Oliver! I rooted for them the entire time.
Esguerra's characters aren't perfect, which is what I love most about them. They all came from different backgrounds, with their own faults and insecurities. I related to Haley quite a bit, having skirted my own calling for years.
The ending itself was one of the sweetest I've ever read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Mina.
****This review is for Playing Autumn only. ****
I don’t have to stress the obvious that I was desperate to get my hands on this book immediately. When I read the synopsis of Playing Autumn from Ms. Mina’s site, I know that I wouldn’t rest until it’s safely tucked in my e-reader. I am not big on music but the title and synopsis gave me an impression of something poignant and of better times. I was reminded of comfort even if “autumn” symbolizes melancholy. Yeah, I am crazy that way.
Set in the USA, Playing Autumn started with Haley meeting her all time music idol, Oliver Cabrera, at the airport. Though she constantly reminded herself that she had already moved on from her fangirling days, she can’t deny the weird feelings that Oliver is stirring in her. Eventually, everything just went crazy between the two of them when they spent a week mentoring the participants of the Breathe Music Festival.
Playing Autumn’s first impression on me certainly lasted. It’s heartwarming with a dash of humor and melodic feel. For a very short novella (89 pages), it gracefully managed to deliver what it’s meant to deliver. The characters immediately stood out to me. Oliver is not the typical rockstar book hero who has everything. On the contrary, his career has gone downhill and his landlord is already shooing him out of his apartment. What I love about him is that he remained cool despite the circumstances. He didn’t wallow in self-pity nor drowned himself in booze. He didn’t hide in his apartment like a cry baby nor pulled crazy stunts just to create publicity so his fame would be restored. He just tried to move on. Meanwhile, Haley is your average fangirl who preferred sharing her musical talent instead of harnessing it to become someone like Oliver. She’s contented staying on the sideline mentoring the youth. One of her traits that really made an impact on me is that she knows what she wants and she will not be ashamed in getting it like having a one week fling with Oliver.
The romance in this novella is sort of instalovey but it was beautifully crafted. And I don’t think I would be really critical about it since the story is very short. What I can assure you is that it was conceivable given that weeklong flings are actually happening in real life. And it’s not the only thing that drove the plot forward.
Ms. Mina’s talent to create stories that are interlaced with meaningful life lessons is simply admirable. Playing Autumn does not only revolve around the steamy romance between Oliver and Haley. It’s also about facing your failures and learning from them, and stepping up to brand new challenges.
Playing Autumn ended with a bang. I couldn’t believe that a book so short managed to merge lovable characters, a plot that draws you in, a swoon worthy romance while tying it all up with a few potent sentences. This book alone made buying Rock Gods of Romance worth it.
Note: Sorry for the typos. I am so sleepy right now. I had a very crazy week.
Dear Miss Mina,
First and foremost, thank you for this. Queen of the Clueless was a breather after working my ass out finishing 7 novels in 10 days. This was an easy read with a lot of humor that the wrinkles I got during the past days were instantly erased. I liked the first book but I fell in love with this one what with the toe curling scenes and awkward moments you've thrown my way.
I am very grateful that you answered a lot of my questions and granted some of my wishes. I loved that Hannah's project in this book was Sol. That made things more complicated than it is. God knows how I love complications. And oh my golly. You literally creeped me out with Neil Prado. It's like he was endowed with a dark version of Venus' charmspeak prowess which seriously repulsed me. Way to go.
Speaking of Sol, I was really hoping that she would at least end up with Diego Simon ya know? Diego is perhaps my most favourite character in the IGOL series. He had the loudest voice of all with his recklessness, impulsiveness and plain bad boy attitude. And I couldn't help fangirling about him in this book. Can you please make another novella featuring Diego Simon and his would be love interest? Pretty please because I want to read more of him.
Although I am crazy about Diego, it doesn't mean that I didn't notice Robbie. He is such a pleasant character and I adore his crazy thoughts. Dammit! They were so delectably outrageous that it was difficult for me to tell him that Hannah already belongs to Quin. Nonetheless, I still want a happy ending for him in the last book. So you better give him that, Miss.
I appreciated that you put more substance into this book as compared to the other one. You expanded the Filipino mythos here which is the main reason why I was glued to this series like a second skin. And the fact that you ensured that romance didn't eclipse the overall story made me a happy camper.
Really, the only thing that made my heart sink while reading this book is there's a lot of Quin but there's so little of him. If you know what I mean.
All in all, this is an excellent second book and my favourite as of now. I even welcomed the cliffhangery ending which I deemed is necessary to gear up the stage in book 3. But before I'm gonna end this letter, remember my other unmet demands. And don't forget about Diego's story. Look into that please.
Until next time.
Sincerely,
Charlotte
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
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