2016 Reading Challenge: Ugly Love

Because I've yet to read a book by Colleen Hoover, so... I wasn't expecting much from the book and even if it has a 4.33 rating on Goodreads, I now know better than to keep my hopes up. I kinda already have an inkling that there would be plenty of sexy times but I wanted to know if it would be of the Rock Chick kind or more similar to Alice Clayton's Wallbanger.

Tate just moved in to his brother's apartment and living across his brother's unit lived a hot guy who also happened to be one of his brother's bros. Ang convenient, I like. Haha. So nothing really happened on the first night (nako ang mga characters sa YA/NA novels mas mabilis pa sa alas cuatro makadiga) but we already know Tate has the hots for the boy. Initially, it was more difficult to discern things from the boy's point of view since he's not revealing much, puro from six years ago yung nasa POV niya ng story. Well, from the POV six years ago, we knew that he still hasn't moved on from Rachel and thinks he's not capable of loving another but due to their undeniable attraction to each other hence the no-strings-attached chukchakan relationship.

What I liked in this book is, of course, the will-they-or-won't-they plot. We know Tate already likes Miles for real but given rule# 2 which is Don't expect a future, she's just getting what she can from their setup. Well, we also know Miles also likes Tate in that way because sometimes he slips up but when he catches himself, he clams up right away. So there's another reason why I was easily breezed through the book- I wanted to find out what ever happened to Rachel and why that huge of an impact on Miles's life.

Ugly Love is more like Wallbanger which I also liked. I'd rather have those gorgeous, abs-rocking, polite (well, mas polite kaysa sa mga Rock Chick boys) than those Rock Chick boys cos seriously with those boys, it's practically rape. Diba nga no means no? And sorry cos I think I'm biased since Dog the Bounty Hunter comes to mind when I think of Rock Chick and who wants a piece of that?? Aside from Beth anyway.

I totally get where Tate is coming from haha... I mean, choosy pa ba siya?

So three stars because I enjoyed it and it made me stay up until three in the morning so I could finish reading it. Initially gave it four stars but after comparing with my other four-star-books, I reckon it only deserves three. I liked it but I wasn't gushing about it afterwards. I was like, what to read next nuninuninu... I'm still three books behind schedule. Anyway, looks like I'm picking up another title by the author but maybe not this month.

Next on this list; Emery Lord's The Start of Me and You

2016 Reading Challenge: Sway

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I don't know why I have a penchant for books only a few (define 'few,' haha) love. I liked Sway more than most books I've read (hence, the 4-star rating on Goodreads) but it wasn't like-at-the-first-few-chapters.

Jesse possesses this unique ability of persuasion which I don't actually understand. I mean, how does he get things done? Cos I think if you're good at persuading other people to do things for you, you must have superb interpersonal skills which Jesse doesn't actually have. Does he know hypnotize people a lá budol-budol gang? Cos if it's just blackmail, I don't think he has the 411 on everyone. So he's a good manipulator, btu how does he actually do it? That aspect I don't really get but sige, okay, he gets things done, ano man ang pamamaraan niya.

Ken pays Jesse to get Bridget to date him. Jesse does the background research for Ken but in the process finds himself falling for the girl. And the girl likes him, too. My kind of story. Haha.

But it's not only Ken who is in the way. Jesse thinks he is not good for Bridget. He feels someone much better deserves to get the girl. Of course there's also that factor that he has built walls, that he doesn't want to become vulnerable and allow to feel emotions, in his case- loving Bridget, cos that would mean to let let his guard down. But we all know that the walls have cracked when he let Pete in.

The only thing Lola Prude (that's me!) doesn't approve of is Jesse peddling drugs and I feel that's much worse than being a user because by peddling drugs, he is responsible for destroying the lives of those he peddles to. At ngayon ko lang narealize that that part of Jesse, Bridget still doesn't know of.

I liked the book although I found it a bit slow. Four stars ☺