A Hundred Silent Ways: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-07-20 06:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mari Jojie
- ISBN：1632993708
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Summary
On the brink of a crumbling， Kate Pineda-McDowell runs away from the only life she has ever known---straight into the heart of the Philippines where her estranged father lives。 As she waits for her connecting flight from Tokyo to Manila， she meets Liam Walker， whose disquieting stares express deeper things than his reluctant words。 Unbeknownst to both， their chance meeting circles back to a closely linked past that holds little hope for new beginnings。
Shortly after arriving in Manila， Kate finds herself drawn to seek out Liam。 In a span of a few magical days， what began as a spark ignites into an electric affair that compels Liam to let someone into his silent world while Kate confronts her heartbreaking sorrows。 But falling for each other means opening old wounds and revealing their most intimate yearnings。
Emotionally gripping and endearingly hopeful， "A Hundred Silent Ways" examines the many different paths people take to obtain a second chance at happiness while asking the most heartrending question of all: How much are we willing to endure to keep love alive？
Shortly after arriving in Manila， Kate finds herself drawn to seek out Liam。 In a span of a few magical days， what began as a spark ignites into an electric affair that compels Liam to let someone into his silent world while Kate confronts her heartbreaking sorrows。 But falling for each other means opening old wounds and revealing their most intimate yearnings。
Emotionally gripping and endearingly hopeful， "A Hundred Silent Ways" examines the many different paths people take to obtain a second chance at happiness while asking the most heartrending question of all: How much are we willing to endure to keep love alive？
Reviews
Donna
，
DNF at Chapter 9I'm not connecting with any of the characters， the infidelity is annoying the heck out of me， and the instalove is also annoying。not sure if this is for me。 DNF at Chapter 9I'm not connecting with any of the characters， the infidelity is annoying the heck out of me， and the instalove is also annoying。not sure if this is for me。 。。。more
Kat Elle
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”It is good to be lost in the right direction。”—A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari JojieThis debut novel by a Filipino-American author narrates the story of two people who met in an unexpected time。 Kate， a runaway from her home in the US to escape loss and heartache， will meet Liam， a quiet and lone traveler， at an airport in Tokyo while they are both waiting for their flight to Manila。 This occurence will lead to sequence of events in their present and an uncovering of their past。If you know me， yo ”It is good to be lost in the right direction。”—A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari JojieThis debut novel by a Filipino-American author narrates the story of two people who met in an unexpected time。 Kate， a runaway from her home in the US to escape loss and heartache， will meet Liam， a quiet and lone traveler， at an airport in Tokyo while they are both waiting for their flight to Manila。 This occurence will lead to sequence of events in their present and an uncovering of their past。If you know me， you probably know by now that I love books that can hurt me or make me cry。 And so when I learned that this is going to be about grief， loss， love， and family， it got me。Hence， my most favorite thing about this book is how it narrated grief in the most realistic way possible。 That unnerving， long-lasting feeling when you lost someone and you can’t seem to move on from it。 However， I can’t say that I agreed or liked the characters’ decisions and actions， but I can definitely say that I understood where they were coming from。 I’m a believer that one doesn’t need to accept to empathize。 What one needs is an open mind and a mind that respects other people’s preferences。 Because of this， I’ll just be honest and say that I’m not the biggest fan of its romance （it may be attributed to the fact that the trope is my least liked among all） and I was hoping it won’t go to the direction it went。In conclusion， I still enjoyed the experience and perspective this book has given me and I recommend this to romance readers who like complicated love stories that go along with grief， loss， and heartache or characters who has questionable moral decisions。On-page representation:deaf， Filipino-American mcContent warning:death， bombing/explosionBefore I end this post， I’d like to thank Book Lover Titas for hosting an event that encourages me to read this book， most especially to Diane for being king and very accommodating！ I hope I get to join you again next time。 。。。more
Rham （Reads and Wanders）
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Actual Rating: 4。5/5When a friend recommended A Hundred Silent Ways during one of our buddy reading discussions， I immediately said YES， I'm very interested， even when I had no idea what the book was about。 I guess that's the beauty in not reading blurbs， you get pleasantly surprised。 I loved so many things about AHSW。 Past and present timelines tend to pull me out of the momentum of reading， but here， it just worked。 It felt like the story flowed and made me eager to know more。The characters an Actual Rating: 4。5/5When a friend recommended A Hundred Silent Ways during one of our buddy reading discussions， I immediately said YES， I'm very interested， even when I had no idea what the book was about。 I guess that's the beauty in not reading blurbs， you get pleasantly surprised。 I loved so many things about AHSW。 Past and present timelines tend to pull me out of the momentum of reading， but here， it just worked。 It felt like the story flowed and made me eager to know more。The characters and their relationship to one another was done so well。 It made me root for them， ache for them， and hope that they get the happiness they all deserve。 I felt their grief and their small wins， as if I was right there with them。 I cried almost halfway into the book， and more towards the end。 That was how emotional it made me for them。I also like the revelations。 It wasn't over the top。 It just crept on me， like how revelations usually happen in real life。 Not overly done， it just happens。 Everyone has a different way of healing。 We come to terms with our grief， with pain and sorrow on our own pace。 Sometimes we don't。 Sometimes all you can do is hope and yearn for healing。 If you're looking for a book to make you feel these things， A Hundred Silent Ways is the book for you。 。。。more
Sai at theengineerisreading
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One of things I like about being part of the book community is finding good recommendations from trusted friends and enjoying said book rec。This is the case with A Hundred Silent Ways， a recent release from Filipino author Mari Jojie that narrates the story of Filipino-American mother Kate Pineda-McDowell who， after experiencing a series of heartbreaks， decided to take some time alone by running away to Manila。Spontaneous adventures often lead to unexpected experiences and during their layover i One of things I like about being part of the book community is finding good recommendations from trusted friends and enjoying said book rec。This is the case with A Hundred Silent Ways， a recent release from Filipino author Mari Jojie that narrates the story of Filipino-American mother Kate Pineda-McDowell who， after experiencing a series of heartbreaks， decided to take some time alone by running away to Manila。Spontaneous adventures often lead to unexpected experiences and during their layover in Tokyo， Kate met Liam Walker， a quiet and mysterious gentleman who will make a remarkable entrance to Kate's crumbling life。The first thing that I like about AHSW is the way the novel is written - quiet but straightforward。 Ever seen films where nothing gradual exactly happens？ This novel reads like one。 The first half of the story presented an interesting establishment of how Kate Pineda-McDowell became the person she is today by showing her wins and struggles in life as a daughter， a lover， and a mother。The narration is still but gives you exactly what you need。 Which， in my honest opinion， is a refreshing scene。 Though the first 120 pages is presented in a matter-of-factly manner， don't be fooled because as I flipped to the second half of the book the story revealed several curveballs that changed the way I pictured the characters and the story。If you're not familiar with my habit， I don't usually read book synopsis and let the element of surprise take over as I devour the pages of my current read。 And AHSW surprised me with a mix of emotions and questioning as the bigger picture unravel in front of me。 I won't mention any specific about what surprised me and I'll let the others experience it firsthand。 Let's talk about the Filipino representation in this book。 There is quite a handful of pages where the story took place in Manila， the setting where the main characters fully knew each other， and I enjoyed reading everything about our culture and tradition during these scenes。Could it be improved？ Yes！ But I guess asking for it may be too much because it may veer off from the much important element of the story which is。。。The way Liam Walker， the other main character who is deaf， is represented and developed in this book。 I barely read books with disability representation （I checked Goodreads and this will be the 12th novel with disability rep so time to add some titles soon） but I can say that this is one of the most elaborated representations I read in the past years。 Liam Walker's journey from being a competitive military personnel to a community catalyst after a life-changing event - is an inspirational and insightful progress I enjoyed reading all throughout。Disclaimer: I am not in the position to claim that the deaf representation in this novel is accurate。 I believe the author coordinated this with sensitivity readers to check on the rep development。I even enjoyed how the story fooled me from thinking that this is a romance story featuring adult characters who had their fair share of battles in life， only to realize that this is an emotional and heart-rending novel that is equally insightful and hopeful。So if you're looking for a novel that offers reality check about life as an adult， marriage， personal relationships， and dealing with the loss of someone you love - pick this book and enjoy the story。 RATING: 4。5stars 。。。more
Bookworm
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This is basically a love story that starts out with the loss of a child。 The story takes place mostly in Manila which was unique。 Also， one of the main characters is deaf from an accident。 The author does a very good job of portraying communication between the two main characters。 It is interesting to me that the use of ASL didn't slow down the action of the novel。 This is a good beach read。 This is basically a love story that starts out with the loss of a child。 The story takes place mostly in Manila which was unique。 Also， one of the main characters is deaf from an accident。 The author does a very good job of portraying communication between the two main characters。 It is interesting to me that the use of ASL didn't slow down the action of the novel。 This is a good beach read。 。。。more
Nursebookie
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A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari Jojie is a heartwarming and incredibly romantic read with a few unexpected and surprising twists， just enough to give your heart a bit of a jolt while reading this amazing debut novel。 What I loved:A Filipina main character A story set in Tokyo and ManilaA chance encounter - a great “meet cute”Surprising plot twistsBeautiful weaving of past and present Well developed and complex characters Realistic and romanticJohor wrote a truly heartfelt story that is relatable， A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari Jojie is a heartwarming and incredibly romantic read with a few unexpected and surprising twists， just enough to give your heart a bit of a jolt while reading this amazing debut novel。 What I loved:A Filipina main character A story set in Tokyo and ManilaA chance encounter - a great “meet cute”Surprising plot twistsBeautiful weaving of past and present Well developed and complex characters Realistic and romanticJohor wrote a truly heartfelt story that is relatable， realistic and romantic。 I really loved this book and I cannot wait to read more of Mari Jojie’s future works。 。。。more
Danise Bautista
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It was a long time since the last time I read a contemporary romance。 This book is somewhat a redemption， I'm glad this book was recommended to me。 First， I am into books with a sad tone。 Maybe， it was the reason why I fell in love with Kate。 I feel connected with her， the pain she felt was vividly described in the narrative， it broke my heart。 Second， I like how second chances were portrayed in different aspects of the story。 New beginnings in life， relationships， and career。 It was a long time since the last time I read a contemporary romance。 This book is somewhat a redemption， I'm glad this book was recommended to me。 First， I am into books with a sad tone。 Maybe， it was the reason why I fell in love with Kate。 I feel connected with her， the pain she felt was vividly described in the narrative， it broke my heart。 Second， I like how second chances were portrayed in different aspects of the story。 New beginnings in life， relationships， and career。 。。。more
Hannah Ruth
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"𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒。"I couldn’t find the words and I couldn’t begin to say what this book made me feel。 I was in a roller coaster of emotions。 I was in a tangle of feelings。 This book is a vast ocean， I was lost and drowning in it。 Every page is a wave full of emotions that hit me with rawness and pierced through my very core。 I am just soooo glad I read this book。 So so so so glad。 Because without any ex "𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒。"I couldn’t find the words and I couldn’t begin to say what this book made me feel。 I was in a roller coaster of emotions。 I was in a tangle of feelings。 This book is a vast ocean， I was lost and drowning in it。 Every page is a wave full of emotions that hit me with rawness and pierced through my very core。 I am just soooo glad I read this book。 So so so so glad。 Because without any exaggeration， this is gold。 🥰 It’s amazing how the writer’s poetic writing has made me say these like it’s contagious。 😂I really love how the flow of the story was written。 I took my time reading， savoring every bit of this book like I don’t want it to end。 I was taken through Kate’s journey of finding herself again， like I was with her， feeling her emotions。 This book just hits all the right places。 I adore the characters。 How easy it is to relate to their pain and their flaws。 Their imperfections made them real， especially Kate and Liam and I am elated that they were able to find the long overdue happiness they both deserved。 This really was an emotionally gripping and heartwarming read for me。 A woman’s inspiring journey through life’s hardships and struggles。 A true testament that life， though full of twists and turns will not put us through something we cannot withstand。 And that though everything may seem dim at the moment， we can trust that there will always be light at the end of the tunnel and a future even brighter than what we dreamed or wished for。 Because what we’ve been through， no matter how hard it is， has made us stronger and braver。 This is definitely a book which I think will appeal to CoHo fans and readers。 I wanted to say more， ‘cause I can’t contain it。 😂 But I’m gonna stop here before I spoil things for you。 If you grab this book， you won’t regret it！ 🧡 。。。more
Autumn bookishandblissful Trubee
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I love finding new authors！ This is Jojie's debut novel。 This is a gripping journey about self， love， loss， and forgiveness。 I felt very heartbroken during this book， but also remained hopeful as we flipped from past to present。 Kate's husband just told her that he wants a divorce， so what does she do？ She runs。 Kate flees back to Manila， where she was born and raised， from her life in the U。S。 However， she has a connecting flight in Tokyo where she meets Liam， who is deaf， and creates quite th I love finding new authors！ This is Jojie's debut novel。 This is a gripping journey about self， love， loss， and forgiveness。 I felt very heartbroken during this book， but also remained hopeful as we flipped from past to present。 Kate's husband just told her that he wants a divorce， so what does she do？ She runs。 Kate flees back to Manila， where she was born and raised， from her life in the U。S。 However， she has a connecting flight in Tokyo where she meets Liam， who is deaf， and creates quite the impact on her life。 I'm not sure how I can describe this book without giving too much away， so please just take my word and give A Hundred Silent Ways a shot。 It is captivating。 I was able to learn a lot about the Philippine's culture and food too， which was intriguing and fun。 I also learned about life from a deaf person's perspective， which has me really motivated to learn ASL。 。。。more
Dianne
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This book is not just about heartaches， or struggle， or loss。 This book is also about love， family， second chances， and most of all， hope。 I find this book to be a cure。 I told Diane I would like this book even without knowing the context。 But I was wrong because I turned out to love it。 I love every page of Kate’s life。 Not just her happy moments but also her pain， struggles， and fear of going through it all over again。 It feels raw。 The emotions she gives are real， something that could be happ This book is not just about heartaches， or struggle， or loss。 This book is also about love， family， second chances， and most of all， hope。 I find this book to be a cure。 I told Diane I would like this book even without knowing the context。 But I was wrong because I turned out to love it。 I love every page of Kate’s life。 Not just her happy moments but also her pain， struggles， and fear of going through it all over again。 It feels raw。 The emotions she gives are real， something that could be happening to someone else， and get to see it from the seat。 。。。more
Joyce （thepageshifter）
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4。5 starsA Hundred Silent Ways is a debut novel of a Fil-Am author。 This is a story of a woman carrying a bundle of pain from the loss of a loved one， an unresolved issue with her father， and a marriage on the rocks。 Kate looks at her life going in a depressing path and she wants an escape route。 The answers lie ahead as her journey began from that sudden flight bound to Manila。 My initial impression。。。 this book makes me want to travel again with the scene at Tokyo's airport。 What made me love 4。5 starsA Hundred Silent Ways is a debut novel of a Fil-Am author。 This is a story of a woman carrying a bundle of pain from the loss of a loved one， an unresolved issue with her father， and a marriage on the rocks。 Kate looks at her life going in a depressing path and she wants an escape route。 The answers lie ahead as her journey began from that sudden flight bound to Manila。 My initial impression。。。 this book makes me want to travel again with the scene at Tokyo's airport。 What made me love this book is how a profound plot was written calmly; a smooth manner of storytelling。 Rich in details precisely organized， with lyrical phrases， a proof of ample research and dedication to keep the story natural and spontaneous， enlightening and expressive。 I also love that it has short chapters。 Each chapter has a catchy title with a quote that comes along with it。 Kate's story is something common but in a way， one of a kind。 She depicts a woman with a strong character though she appears to be fragile and resentful at the beginning。 I got frantic with her decisions， but also recognized her good sides。 Liam is another character of real depth that is easy to fall in love with。There's one thing I was hoping to find at the end of the story to add further reality to it。 Nevertheless， I am satisfied with how everything wrapped up。 Communication is the main inspiration of this novel， but it also offers so much more。 The writing style is impressive。 AHSW is a real page-turner and I am recommending it to all lovers of women's fiction。____________________________________❛❛ 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵， 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥， 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦， 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦。❜❜____________________________________ 。。。more
Cecille
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How would I summarize this book？ A love found， lost， and found again。 When I started this， there is a feeling of heaviness and despair， mostly coming from Kate who has been through a lot。 The way she was written captured that about her。 On the other hand， I felt differently when Liam’s point of view was shown。 His was calm and assured。 His head on his shoulders。 It took me a while to get into the motion， mostly because of personal reasons， but was breezing through the book at about 20% of the st How would I summarize this book？ A love found， lost， and found again。 When I started this， there is a feeling of heaviness and despair， mostly coming from Kate who has been through a lot。 The way she was written captured that about her。 On the other hand， I felt differently when Liam’s point of view was shown。 His was calm and assured。 His head on his shoulders。 It took me a while to get into the motion， mostly because of personal reasons， but was breezing through the book at about 20% of the story。 My only issue is Kate， she is in pain， yes， but did not see the efforts being done by her husband。 There are also parts that for me could be explored more， so that the characters’ actions are at least justified。 Overall， I liked this book。 This is definitely about second chances， who doesn’t want that？ 💕 。。。more
Jennifer
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I loved this book！！！ I gave it all 5 beautiful stars！ Thank you so very much to Mari Jojie， the author， for offering me the opportunity to reading， I am so glad I accepted to read it and you mailing it to me！！！This is review is 100% my honest opinion。 Please don't assume I gave it because of receiving it。 I rarely reread books and would read this again in a heartbeat！ This book has everything in it， family， love， friendships， happiness， sadness， heartbreaking， loss and not too much of any of it。 I loved this book！！！ I gave it all 5 beautiful stars！ Thank you so very much to Mari Jojie， the author， for offering me the opportunity to reading， I am so glad I accepted to read it and you mailing it to me！！！This is review is 100% my honest opinion。 Please don't assume I gave it because of receiving it。 I rarely reread books and would read this again in a heartbeat！ This book has everything in it， family， love， friendships， happiness， sadness， heartbreaking， loss and not too much of any of it。 Nothing drags。 Kate has been informed by her husband Kyle that he wants a divorce and her only solution at the time is to run away。 She runs back to her homeland， The Philippines。 Her estranged father is there。 She meets a gentleman， Liam， in Tokyo from a flight layover。 They are both heading to Manila。 While the reconnection with her father doesn't go as well as she hoped， she texts Liam and they meet back。 Liam couldn't keep her off his mind！ Their friendship starts to blossom。 From there the book is full of all the feels！ My jaw dropped， dropped again， a couple of "wait a minute， what。。。？， tears wanting to come， smiles， and laughing。 Go get this book！！！ 。。。more
Arystine
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Actual Rating: 4。5/5 ⭐️When her husband said that they should get a divorce， Kate Pineda-McDowell chose to run away on impulse。 She decided to go to the Philippines， to meet her estranged father while she thinks things through。 While waiting for the connecting flight from Tokyo to Manila， she met Liam—a silent stranger whose words spoke volumes。 They kept each other company， but got separated when they boarded the plane。 Still， they could not keep their minds off each other。 It’s no wonder that Actual Rating: 4。5/5 ⭐️When her husband said that they should get a divorce， Kate Pineda-McDowell chose to run away on impulse。 She decided to go to the Philippines， to meet her estranged father while she thinks things through。 While waiting for the connecting flight from Tokyo to Manila， she met Liam—a silent stranger whose words spoke volumes。 They kept each other company， but got separated when they boarded the plane。 Still， they could not keep their minds off each other。 It’s no wonder that Kate sought for Liam again when she was in Manila。 I like the writing style of Mari Jojie， the author。 The first chapter would pull you right in because of her straightforward writing。 Later on， you would be dazzled with vibrant observation of Filipino culture， vivid description of the changing seasons， and humor amidst communication barrier。 There are alternating timelines， but I was not confused。 I know it’s meant to shed light。 There are parts with inner monologues， but it’s not boring or repetitive。 Instead， it made me want to sit down and listen more to the narrative of this person。This is a tale of second chances。 A chance to believe that when you’ve hit rock bottom， there might be that silver lining that will push you up。 Kate is a flawed character。 I tried to understand her grief， having experienced this several times with different coping mechanisms。 I was frustrated at times when she seemed stoic， and unable to see the blessing before her。 There were times that I want to shake her。 Maybe she chose to be that way。 Or maybe she is destined to be that way at that time， to make things fall into place later on。 I love the story of Kate and Liam。 You know it’s more than just insta-love。 There is a significant connection。 As stated in the blurb， there is a closely-linked past。 And this beautiful past could be the answer why an almost stranger just couldn’t stay away。❤️This is the fourth book that I read for Stan Asian Authors readathon。🙂 This month made me even more proud of my fellow Asians for making it to the international world of publishing。 👏👏👏 。。。more
Carolyn
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This book is a beautiful piece of art。 While the overall tone of this book is sad， there are moments of hope and love and I enjoyed getting to know Kate and Liam and watch their story unfold。 This book almost felt like it was written with me in mind， as some of the places and names have been prominent in my life。 Jojie did a great job of weaving in small details that truly enhanced the arc of the characters and the pain they experienced was palpable。 Thank you Mari Jojie for sending me a copy of This book is a beautiful piece of art。 While the overall tone of this book is sad， there are moments of hope and love and I enjoyed getting to know Kate and Liam and watch their story unfold。 This book almost felt like it was written with me in mind， as some of the places and names have been prominent in my life。 Jojie did a great job of weaving in small details that truly enhanced the arc of the characters and the pain they experienced was palpable。 Thank you Mari Jojie for sending me a copy of your beautiful book！ 4。5 ⭐️ 。。。more
Jenn
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Oh man， where do I begin？ First off I would like to thank Mari Jojie for sending me a copy of her book。 Although this review is of my own choice！ Kate is a Filipina American flees to Manila from her life in the U。S。 there is where she meets Liam and her estranged dad。 Kate unravels from her life back home and opens up opportunities both good and bad to uncover。 Without giving many if no spoilers away， I believe Jojie did a fantastic job。 I myself do not read a lot of Adult Novels but thoroughly Oh man， where do I begin？ First off I would like to thank Mari Jojie for sending me a copy of her book。 Although this review is of my own choice！ Kate is a Filipina American flees to Manila from her life in the U。S。 there is where she meets Liam and her estranged dad。 Kate unravels from her life back home and opens up opportunities both good and bad to uncover。 Without giving many if no spoilers away， I believe Jojie did a fantastic job。 I myself do not read a lot of Adult Novels but thoroughly was encaptured in this one。 You could feel so much of what Kate was going through and as her life unfolds you can't help but wonder what will happen to both her and Liam and how faith conspired for them to meet at that very moment。 For this being Jojie's debut novel I would like to congratulate and say bravo on an exceptional story！ 。。。more
Diane RB （booksandthensome）
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDThis is a compelling story about self， family， friendship， love and loss。 It is a heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting journey to rebuild， heal and feel whole enough to start anew ❤️ I couldn’t put the book down。 I savoured every line and every word。 Even the way onions are sliced piqued my interest。 There was not a single wasted word。 And I found a lot of wisdom between the lines。 The writing is poetic and evocative。 I was immediately pulled in the world of Kate， who was fle HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDThis is a compelling story about self， family， friendship， love and loss。 It is a heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting journey to rebuild， heal and feel whole enough to start anew ❤️ I couldn’t put the book down。 I savoured every line and every word。 Even the way onions are sliced piqued my interest。 There was not a single wasted word。 And I found a lot of wisdom between the lines。 The writing is poetic and evocative。 I was immediately pulled in the world of Kate， who was fleeing from an impending divorce。 I felt her confusion， anxiety and pain， and detected a spirit that is in the brink of surrender。 I strongly sensed the small part of her that hopes to get any bit of refuge from her estranged father， some answers to her life questions - or at the very least a diversion from the broken life she lived in the US。 The story flowed smoothly。 I was treated with chapters about sunnier days and brighter moonlit nights。 The multiple timelines were easy to follow。 I love how the chapter titles served to foreshadow what are to come。 And the quotes included are thoughtfully selected and which we all can easily resonate with。 I was happy to read a POV other than Kate’s。 It added so much value to my reading experience。 Each timing of the revelations was impactful and is one of the book’s best features。 I also was fully engrossed with both of Kate’s relationships- the one that was apparently ending with Kyle and the other that was beginning with Liam。 I cared about them all so much。 They are all battered and heartbroken and not without flaws。 But I looked forward for everyone to get their HEA including the side characters。 The strong ending made for a coherent story and was realistic。 It made me feel triumphant。 It inspires strength， hope， love and faith - a testament to how people carry through unimaginable pain。 And how we can find our rainbows and second chances。The book has substantially shown realities of Filipinos and migrant families， military couples and life after tragedies。 It was a worthwhile read for me， and a story I will definitely revisit in the future。 Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me！ 。。。more
Reading Mama
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I've said it before， but I'll say it again: one thing that I love about this space is discovering new authors and new books that I might not have discovered elsewhere。 When @marijojie_author reached out to me about her book， I immediately knew I wanted to read it based on the synopsis alone。 Goodreads calls this book， "Emotionally gripping and endearingly hopeful，" and says it， "examines the many different paths people take to obtain a second chance at happiness while asking the most heartrendin I've said it before， but I'll say it again: one thing that I love about this space is discovering new authors and new books that I might not have discovered elsewhere。 When @marijojie_author reached out to me about her book， I immediately knew I wanted to read it based on the synopsis alone。 Goodreads calls this book， "Emotionally gripping and endearingly hopeful，" and says it， "examines the many different paths people take to obtain a second chance at happiness while asking the most heartrending question of all: How much are we willing to endure to keep love alive？" The two main characters， Kate and Liam， are authentic and perfectly written。 The way the story and their journey unraveled left me wanting more; that was my only complaint about this book- that it wasn't longer！ For me， that is the sign of a good book， especially since I usually find books a little too long 😏。 Thank you again Mari for sending me a copy of your book！ The rest of you need to check this one out！ 。。。more
Lisa Laura
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