Manila Takes Manhattan
A Spicy Celebrity Workplace Romance
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3.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang will adore this irresistibly engaging story of two Filipino celebrities caught between everything they want…and everything they are.
How do you follow your heart when it’s in two places?
Filipino musician and producer Mon Mendoza has been in New York for less than a day. Just long enough to feel like he doesn’t belong despite landing a life-changing opportunity. All he can do is set a date night for just himself and some pancit canton. Which, as it turns out, is the only invitation his gorgeous Pinoy neighbor needs…
Actress Olivia Angeles can wear a character like a well-fitted dress. It’s her real self she’s having a hard time fitting into, craving a niche in Hollywood that doesn’t compromise her identity in the name of success. And right now, all she wants is comfort in the form of tasty noodles and her outrageously hot new neighbor. One night. Just enough to lose herself in his touch and the feel of his lips…
Only their sexy little tryst isn’t quite what they signed up for. Because for the next month, Mon and Olivia are working on the same movie. Together. Now they’re discovering they have a lot more in common than Pinoyness and sizzling chemistry. But how do you find yourself and your person when you’re caught between two different worlds?
Manila Takes Manhattan is a spicy, fast-paced romance you can read in one sitting.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cultures attract and conflict in this raunchy rom-com from De Guzman (Blooming Love). Music producer Raymond "Mon" Mendoza is newly arrived in Manhattan from Manila, Philippines, and feeling unsettled and lonely. Enter his gorgeous pinoy neighbor, Olivia, who helps him feel connected to his home during a steamy one-night stand. That should be the end of it—until Mon discovers that Olivia is the famous actor/director who hired him to do the music for her upcoming film. Their carnal connection is undeniable, but can they build a meaningful relationship while working together and butting up against the movie industry's racism? Mon's struggle to fit into America and Olivia's attempts to increase opportunities for Filipina actors (which, she notes, is still a fight, "even in a post-Crazy Rich Asians world") are just as important to the plot as the romance itself, which is commendable, but occasionally clumsily handled, especially in lengthy bouts of exposition. The plentiful sex scenes are consistently lusty, but lack nuance and feel uninformed by the characters. Still, readers looking for high heat levels and Filipino representation will find plenty to hold their interest.
