Hi! I'm Filipino - and you don't know how much I looooved that this was set in Manila. I experienced a sense of realism that I never had with other stories. Yes, I can attribute that to the fact that I regularly see/visit many of these places - but it's also because you created a setting that was so detailed and intricate - so distinctly Filipino. Props to you for that!

As for the plot line - it's not the most groundbreaking, but it's definitely well-executed and well-written. The "will they/won't they" arc kept me hanging on to every single chapter. I really enjoyed the fact that Rob and Kara did not have their cliched happy ending - they had an imperfect love story that was so raw, so real. You kept building and building and building up to these big moments where I'd think Kara and Rob would have their happy ending - and then they don't. And then my heart would be broken. And yet I'd still keep reading! I think that's the most beautiful thing about this story. You don't idealize love - you portray it as something so beautiful, yet so flawed and fickle.

(Sidenote: If Kara went on that date with Rob and ended up in Palawan, or if she decided to take the plunge after she said "I love you" back - would they have ended up together?).

Thank God there were no scenes where Brian/Katrina caught their significant others in the act of cheating - that saved me from witnessing yet another of those sampalan/sapakan/sabunutan hysterics of Filipino teleseryes. I feel though that the last part of the story - the big reveals and the Kara/Rob separation - was a little too fast-paced and rushed? I get that you were purposefully leaving this a bit open-ended (to leave way for a sequel), but I still feel having separation Kara's last ditch attempt seeing Rob with Katrina was too much to happen within the span of like, three chapters. I felt there should've been time for introspection, maybe a conversation/interaction with Jon (which would then slightly legitimize his engagement to Kara at the end).

As for the characters, I loooooooooooved them. Kara is such a well developed character. She's a little bit too impulsive, a little bit too cautious; a little bit too friendly, a little bit too ice-cold bitch. She's full of contradictions, which makes her so relatable! And I love her even more as a narrator - she's just the right mix of funny and self-deprecating. I know a lot of people think Rob is an ass, but I can't help but love him too. I do think his feelings for Kara were genuine; he fought hard for her, just at the wrong times. He's one of those types who's are just never satisfied, and constantly seek adventure and spontaneity. That's what Kara was to him - yet he found himself falling for her and didn't know what do do.

Lastly, I love love love your writing style. You are descriptive and flowery at the right parts (loved your description of Rob/Kara's last kiss). I especially love how you wrote the epilogue! As you can tell by the length of this review, you have a fan and now I'm going to drop everything to read the sequel.

I wanted to give an elaborate review on how amazing and moving this novella was, but I can't seem to find the best words for it. Right now, just minutes after reading the epilogue, all I could say is that this is a profoundly written series. It's not everyday that one would stumble upon a romance novella that speaks volumes of reality in terms of heartbreak, temptation, and self-discovery. Great work!

Well written. Gosh, sometimes really no matter what you do, how you badly want the relationship to work, the stars aren't just aligned for the two of you. It is what it is - a flaw. goojab ReeetchBeeetch!

I love this so far...it just seems very promising and is very well-written :) I'll get round to reading more when I have the time!

Amazing story, I read it all right through and couldn't stop. I like how you ended it, such a great twist with him being married and still lying, thus staying consistent with his flaw from the beginning. And I like how she is so drawn to him because he makes her feel different and more alive, but in the end she doesn't allow him to change her. She knows she has to change for herself and if she's unhappy with her life she has to fix it. Really great moral and message to this. Brilliant concept, I thought it was very original.

This story is so beautiful. I was absolutely hooked from the beginning! It was really really sad to find out that Rob was a complete a-hole, but you wrote it well.

This was a good story. I like the storyline. I like the characters...kind of loved Rob until about two chapters ago. I really like the whole idea of these two people meeting. I was hooked when not-so-single-guy first smiled at not-so-single-girl. When Kara walked out of her house and walked off with Vince instead of Rob I was cheering her on. BUT when she kept on with it having him doing her chores and cooking for her I felt like it was too much. But of course nothing tops being married. I was in complete shock when I read that part. Never saw that coming. looking back I see it, but thats how it works I guess. Anyways - great job with this story!

Loved it soooooo much!

Hey i rly luved this story... i enjoy reading fanfics that sound professional and like an actual book. keep up the gr8t work xx

Wow, I loved this - though there are so many things I didn't expect to happen. I can't believe Rob came back to her, even when he was married! And blatantly lied to her about it! It was so not the ending I thought it would be, and at first I've got to say, I was actually quite sad. That was until I read the bit about Jon of course. I hope you continue with Silver Tie, although I'm in two minds about reading it - I don't want anything else to happen to her!

My gut feeling was right!

I had my doubts about Rob at that cheesecake episode, and I'm so glad that you didn't try to idealize the situation. A cheater is indeed always a cheater (or Rob is anyway). And of course I feel so happy for Kara. Life gives you shit, and sometimes we fall for it. I like how the story revolved around human weakness as well as strength in the end.

Overall, it was a nice read. Interesting take on the story.

-L.C.

The moment I read the name "Brian Gutierrez" I had a hunch you would be from the Philippines.

You have an interesting plot as well as characters.

Anyway, i just find this chapter pretty unique because mainly of the setting. I've never read a story (from FP) that's set in Manila, and I like how you decided to keep it local. It's weird for me, but it's a good kind of weird. At least I actually can visualize the places well and understand some of Filipino quirks you included like "Koreanovelas".

But what made my eyebrows shoot sky high would be when you mentioned "Ateneo-La Salle". That struck home since I'm at Ateneo myself right this minute constructing this review, which I find so coincidental, lol.

Well, that's it I suppose. I'm definitely curious to read the rest of this story and see where you decide to take Kara and Rob :)

-L.C.

I really appreciate the ending. Throughout the whole entire story I just couldn't decide If I like Rob or not and you made up my mind for me. There was a perfect balance between "nice Rob" and "bad Rob". It was a really good read with a refreshing ending.

Okay, I've only read this chapter and jumped to the last not because of bad writing(more on this later) but because I really hate infidelity. I did not want to spend the time cursing the main character for the choices she would make. Besides my issue, I honestly think you're a great writer and this story is well written(based on the two chapters i've seen) Maybe when the timing is right I'll give this story another go then give you a review better than this one..

That ending... sucks. I mean it makes sense. The saying always goes, "once a cheater, always a cheater". We girls are just foolish enough to ignore it. I'm glad it was Jon though, not Vince. Vince was far too prissy. Sequel to this, or is this the end?