*ARC* Book Review: Delight (Happiness #1) by Moras Dela Paz
 |
| Title: Delight Author: Moras Dela Paz Release Date: April 16, 2018 |
PLOT:
You think you know someone…
Serena and Eli have known each other for as long as they can remember. Their parents are good friends and all but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to get along as well. Serena always thought that being a basketball prodigy destined for the pros has made Eli obnoxious and she finds his inflated ego out of this world.
However, with failing grades hindering Eli’s road into the pros, Serena helps him out of kindness and goodwill. Just kidding! Truth be told, she prefers to use her free time baking rather than endure Eli’s unpleasant company. Until her parents “ask” her nicely to tutor Eli, the ever-obedient Serena, afraid of being a disappointment, reluctantly agrees.
As the two of them spend more and more time together, they learn that even if they’ve known each their whole lives there are some things about each other that is just a delightful surprise.
REVIEW:
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an HONEST review.
Upon receiving a copy, I flew threw the pages really quickly because the story just captured my attention. The author used the enemies to lovers trope in a fun and light-hearted way. I like her way of writing relationships in this book. The relationship between Eli and Serena is adorable and cute not only that but their relationship is written in a very realistic way. It was not rushed. It was developed in a slow manner and I like how there was courting involve. The author really imbibed some Philippine culture in this book, which is not present in a lot of romance novels by Filipinos.
Furthermore, the relationship between Kyle and Serena is also great because it is so relatable for me because I do have a lot of guy friends and their friendship means a lot for me. I like how the author wrote their relationship in a purely platonic way. It shows that a boy and a girl can be friends without any romantic feelings involve. Also Serena's relationship with her friends is also very realistically written. Not all friendship are all rainbows and butterflies, there will be some falling out in some point but it is your decision if you are going to fight for your friendship or end it. Another important value featured in this book is family. This story presented strong family value with Serena, Eli, and Kyle's family. While reading I really saw how close they are with one another and despite the trials that comes in their way, in the case of Eli's family it was a health scare, they remain strong together.
Finally, I want to discuss Serena's development in this book. Serena grew a lot in this story from a timid and shy girl who was afraid to speak to her parents about her dreams to a strong and outspoken one. She is not afraid to chase her dreams and she works hard for it to become into a reality. Overall, Serena is a relatable character because like her I like to bake and cook. I also suffer from body image issue, which led me to start going to gym. I started doing various exercise like Yoga and Muay Thai. To assert, this book is more than a romance novel. It is a story about friends, family, and growing up. This book tackles real life situations that one might encounter such as teen or unexpected pregnancy, falling out with friends, college choices, body image issues, and speaking up. I really recommend this to book especially to high school students because they will really learn a lot from this book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Moras Dela Paz is a graphic designer who loves to read anything romance. She decided she wanted to work for a publishing house and made book covers to add to her portfolio. When she finished her designs, she knew there was something lacking but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. She then figured her book covers needed stories behind them. That’s how she got into writing.
When she’s not writing or reading romance, she’s backpacking in remote parts of the Philippines.
To get the latest updates on Thessa and her writing,
follow her on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/morasdelapaz
Twitter https://twitter.com/morasdelapaz
Comments
Post a Comment