Learning To Fall by Mina V. Esguerra

12:07 PM

The fourth quarter of 2015 became too busy that reading took a backseat for me. It was only last April that I got to breathe again and go back to my "normal" life. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my excuse for not being able to read Learning To Fall as soon as it was released.

So yesterday morning, I finished a middle-grade book which made me a bit melancholic. I needed a good kilig fix, I decided. I do still have five books from my last book haul in Smashwords, but I still one-clicked Learning to Fall in Amazon and spent last night reading it.


Summary: 

“Go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero WHO ISN’T YOUR TYPE.”



Avid reader and art student Steph is participating in a monthly blog challenge to Live Like Fiction, and this was the task for October. When Grayson, former co-captain of her university rugby team, walks into her class, she knows it’s meant to be – she has to go out with this guy. Even if she’s never been attracted to big, hunky, athletic types. With Grayson’s “player” reputation off the field, Steph thinks he’ll be good for one date that’ll be worth blogging about, and that’s it. 

But you know how it goes: Soon, it becomes more than just one date – and Steph and Grayson are caught up in “living like fiction.” How long can they keep playing their roles before reality steps in?

How do I love this? Let me count the ways:
  1. This is where the Addison Hill and Breathe Rockstar worlds collide. Galing!
  2. Tropes. This one had lovable jock and pretend relationship tropes and I both love those! 
  3.  Grayson. He definitely was a lovable jock. Can I get one order of him, please? He was described as a specimen engineered to push women's buttons, but I liked him more because he was ambitious, driven and most importantly, resilient. He had me at "I know how to lose. I lose all the time.”  More than anything, I think that is a guy's trait that would surely sweep me off my feet. He was also supportive of Steph. He is captain of #TeamStayson and he constantly offered help on how she can deal with her thingy.  Oh captain, my captain. 
  4. Steph. She made me eye-roll a couple of times. But I was able to identify with her. She's always cold. She prefers holing up in her room to read over awkward small talks at parties. She likes challenges. And she's discovering who she really is. I perfectly know that feeling of cluelessness on what to do with your life. I wanted to throw a pity party for two (for her and myself) when Victoria told her “We don’t have time to ponder your next life goal. I thought you would have figured it out by now.” I'd like to say I'm much braver than her, but on second thought, maybe not.
  5. Delilah. Thank God for friends who can offer words of wisdom! Sometimes, all we really need is a true friend who will knock us into our senses. She reminds me so much of my best friend, who also happens to be an excellent stalker information gatherer. 
  6. Quotable quotes!!!
This is so geeky, I love it so much:
"Which Pantone number is that blush on her face right now, you think?"
My feelings for book blogging:
“In theory, blogging shouldn't take a lot of time. Read a book, then write about it. Simple, right? Obligation fulfilled to the publisher or author who sent the book, to the readers who read the blog. Not quite.”
“I’m me. But that doesn’t mean anything yet.”
“It's nice to do things that make us think we're more fun than we are.” 
“It’s not wrong to want a lot of things.”
Delilah's brilliant retort when Steph said no one likes to be like her:            
“Right, and no one will ever want to if you keep wussing out of awesome things. You are like, in the metaphorical crossroads of your life and shit. Fine, it’s not perfect, but nothing is.”
All we really want is someone to see us wholly and love and accept that. Right?
"He knew all of my worlds, the ones I kept separate, he saw them all, already. And if he didn’t want this, then he didn’t want me. It was that simple.”
Learning to Fall was about finding and believing in yourself, about falling, and dusting yourself up. It was a joy to read. But then again, it's by Mina, so we shouldn't even be surprised by that anymore. :)

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