Chasing Mindy by Carla de Guzman
Publication Date: April 1, 2018
Genre: Romance
[I received an e-ARC from the author (thank you, Ms. Carla!) and I also purchased the e-book on release day. This is a review of the finished Kindle edition.]
Blurb:
Mindy and Javier are not friends, okay.
Despite their mothers’ matchmaking, they’ve managed to stay out of each other’s way. Until Mindy goes to Paris for a week, and her mother insists she meet up with Javier. He’s in Paris to study, really looking forward to see you, she says. Watch over each other.
No thanks. Javier is taciturn and boring, Mindy is dramatic and has a tendency to yell at things when her eight siblings are brought up. It’s not a great combination.
But things start to look a little different under the Paris lights, and what felt like hate feels a lot closer to love.
My thoughts:
Part I. The Anticipation
I started a Twitter thread for Chasing Mindy the moment I received an e-ARC from Ms. Carla.
I remember sending a message to Ms. Carla back when she called for interested beta readers of her new story. I was so excited because I kinda got the hint that the love interest in the story is lowkey inspired by my favorite #romanceclass live reader (c’mon there’s no use in trying to deny it – Miguel Almendras).
However, I didn’t get the beta reader slot because 1) a lot of people signed up already and 2) I had to consider my schedule for thesis writing. I told myself I’d be getting the book as soon as it gets released.
Then Ms. Carla shared a sneak peek of the book cover on her Instagram stories and I got more excited because it’s really Miguel Almendras on the cover!!!
Plus: the book is mostly set in Paris!!! And the trope – don’t get me started on the trope because I can totally relate to the parental matchmaking thing and I can write an entire blog post for that.
Ms. Carla sent e-ARCs in late March but I couldn’t read it yet because I was busy with my thesis. However, I decided to buy the book on its release day to show support and ended up actually reading it and finishing it on the same day.
SAME DAY, bookish friends.
Part II. Chasing Mindy All at Once
April 1: I started reading at 1:01 p.m. and finished the book at around 4 so that makes 3 hours of uninterrupted feels. That’s rare for a bookworm on a reading slump. Actually, this book review is rare for a book blogger on hiatus. (This will probably the last book review I’ll write before a total hiatus until the end of May. I’ll miss you all!)
I broke my personal schedule because of Mindy and Javi, but I don’t regret it. Three hours of getting lost in a good book meant three hours of my much-needed break from the things that stress me out. So thank you, universe.
Part III. Mindy, you strong woman – SALUTE!
If Mindy were a real person, I’d hug her the moment I meet her.
The way I see it, Mindy is this strong, independent woman who knows who she is and who she wants to be.
Tito Karlo? He’s #cancelledt to me. He doesn’t know how to feel the room, and my heart broke for Mindy when those four words got thrown at her like newly-sharpened knives.
Couldn’t swing it, huh.
Mindy’s uncle was talking about law school. Mindy left because of the “humiliation and mental anguish she suffered” and instead of asking what made her give up, her insensitive uncle just tells her she couldn’t swing it.
Mindy’s sister Lily also joked about the law school thing and I’m like, You Don’t Do That.
Seriously. Mindy doesn’t need other people reminding her of who she could have been because that stuff is in the freaking past.
She’d long learned that reality wasn’t always that kind.
It’s clear that I have intense feelings for this and I hope I got my point across. Mindy has become one of my candidates for MC of the Year and I am so proud of the choices she made for herself. Meeting her is a gift. ❤
Part IV. Javi and ALL THE CUTENESS my heart is still jumping ❤
Since when was practical the opposite of romantic?
I like Javi for all the cuteness, yes. But his words are what made me fall in love with him.
I don’t want you to think that I don’t listen to you.
-Javi
Javi reminds me a little of Nero from Beginner’s Guide. Both of them will make you feel listened to, and that’s one of the best feelings ever.
I might not understand everything you say, but I’ll never, never tell you to shut up.
-Nero
See what I mean? We need guys like this in real life. I have faith they exist.
Who you are isn’t the sum total of your descriptors or titles. It’s the choices you make. You chose Paris. You chose me.
He’s this guy who finds it difficult to talk about what makes him feel sad, and I want to hug him as well. JAVI YOU HAVE MY HEART, OKAY? ❤
And if that wasn’t enough to make you fall in love with Javi, read this:
He’s just so, so…good. Inherently good, even if he can’t see it for himself. He’s seen me without the baggage of what happened to me, and I already told him how humiliating it was for me. He doesn’t see me as one of nine, or as a problem to figure out, or as a kid that hasn’t reached her potential or whatever. And he still likes me.
-Mindy
Mindy and Javi made me realize that it takes courage to embrace who you are outside of the bubble you were born in.
POWERFUL, I tell you. Powerful.
Chasing Mindy captured the pros and cons of being born in Filipino families. Describing the dynamics of such could be challenging, but I believe Ms. Carla handled it so well. I lived vicariously through Mindy and Javi as they navigated the City of Light and learned about each other in the process. It felt so right to read about two heavy hearts finding love in one of the most romantic cities in the world. I smiled a lot, and there were also times when I felt like crying because this was a book I didn’t know I needed. It came at the right time and I’m grateful. ❤
To the hearts who feel a little too lost, this book is for you. Self-discovery is a continuous journey, and I hope this book makes you want to keep going. ❤
Final Rating: 5/5
Bibliophile Soprano 
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