#plain vanilla

I'm gonna miss this place when I have to shift to a new dorm for my masters

Plain Vanilla by Ines Bautista Yao

I’ll keep this review short and sweet because that’s what this was, short but super sweet!

I enjoyed it a lot because it is reminiscent of American YA books I used to bring home from the library and yet the characters and settings are distinctly Filipino. And I share Tempest’s troubles with having an unusual name, awful nicknames is sitting right on top. :)

The list of dares is an interesting plot device and I loved that while not all are really ‘daring’ in my opinion, all of it was enough to gently coax Tempest out of hiding. Paco’s explanation for the Vanilla comment is a little extra of him to me, but it’s a satisfying ending and I accept it.

Plain Vanilla’s romance is perfect and not plain at all. I didn’t get too kilig (because I’m old and grumpy) but I can imagine the younger readers thoroughly enjoying this short story.

P.S. It’s a shame summer is over this year because my cousins, nephews and nieces would absolutely love the dare suggestions at the end of this book, but there’s always next year.

4 of 5 Stars. Can I get a Margarita spin-off? Please? Haha!

Blurb:

Despite her quirky name and equally quirky family, 16-year-old Tempest Juan knows she's ordinary. After reading a comment on Facebook which likened her to vanilla ice cream, Tempest decides she has to do something about it or be forever branded as plain, lukewarm, and well, vanilla. It doesn't help that the comment was made by Paco Lorenzo, her cousin’s cute friend (no longer cute in her book!). When she happens upon a book of dares, she decides to attempt each one, no matter how hard. This is her personality at stake, after all. But somehow, Paco, the cause of all this, finds a way to be at every dare Tempest attempts, confusing her and forcing her to question what’s really going on inside her heart.

Buy Links:

Amazon Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BCUOMGE

*I’m not sure about the availability of the Print Edition but contact the Author if you fancy one. :)

About the Author:

Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy Summer, What’s in Your Heart and Only a Kiss. She has also written two short stories, “Flashbacks and Echoes,” which is part of a compilation called All This Wanting and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes From a Festival.

She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher. She is also a wife and mom and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood at theeverydayprojectblog.com You can also visit her author website at: http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbautistayao-author/

Paco Lorenzo

Paco Lorenzo