Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts

 

Rating: 3 - meet cute, innocent, Filipinos in diaspora

My Thoughts: 

The publishers call this a Crazy Rich Asians meets Bend it Like Beckham. I don't agree. This is not about the uber rich Asians, and although Jomar is a tennis player in London, this is really about that awkward love. He is a good boy, a little clueless, a little lost. He comes from the Philippines straight to London without even securing a place to stay so always has that small fish in a big pond aspect about him. He is trying to keep his scholarship to go to college and play tennis, but he also seems to be the kind of lost puppy that people want to take under their wing, whether it is his new doubles partner, the James Bond nerd from the airport, or the security guard that coaches him until he gets fired for letting him into the stadium at night to practice. Others naturally gravitate towards him because he wears his heart on his sleeve and his says gushy things like "you are my home." 

Mitch, half-white, half Filipina, is an American who is a little more awkward than she should be considering her father lives in London and her mother in America. She should be more sophisticated as someone who constantly travels between families, but she is not. I could not quite figure her out. When it reveals what she is hiding, it is not enough for her to treat Jomar the way she does. As an American college student in London, I felt like she lost some of her American-ness in the middle of the book. 

Despite the minor issue I had with Mitch, I think this is a cute read. I read it from my phone in one sitting so that is a good sign that this is a read worthy, swoon worthy book for YA. Their relationship is very chaste and innocent, so this is good for younger YA too. The only other issue that I have is the cover. I am not sure why it looks like he is shirtless as this is not that kind of book. I would have had her kissing her hand as that happens  a lot. AND, put a shirt on. 

From the Publisher:

When Jomar's tennis ambitions crash into Mitchelle's wounded heart during one charmingly disastrous karaoke night, they'll discover that the biggest matches aren't played on courts—but in learning to love despite the ghosts of the past.

Jomar Montalbano thinks he's ready for anything. A rising tennis star from the Philippines, he lands in London with one suitcase, one college scholarship, and zero idea how to survive without rice. He's counting on a few wins—but definitely not falling for Mitchelle Tanner.

She's the quiet girl with a vintage camera, a craving for halo-halo, and a smile that hides as much as it shows. Half-American, half-Filipina, and fully impossible to read.

He's used to power and control—but around her, he's completely unstrung.

From vulnerable confessions in a darkroom's glow to rallies that feel like Wimbledon wins, Jomar discovers that love—like tennis—is all about timing, risk, and knowing when to fight for the point.

Set in London's rainy alleys and sunlit parks, woven with island warmth and humor, Gihigugma, Ace of Hearts is an adventure about home, heart, and the courage to choose love against all odds.

Love at eighteen isn't always a mistake. Sometimes, it's a miracle.

Publication Information:

Author: Melanie King-Smith

Publisher: MiLFY Books (September 30, 2025)

Print length: 234 pages

Reading age: 13-18

The Last Bookshop in London

 

My Thoughts:

I don't only read YA. I also don't only read YA books from indigenous and authors of color, however, it does make up most of my TBR (to be read) lists. However, this book caught my eye because I just like historical fiction books about books, libraries or bookshops. It appeals to that little girl in me who wanted to read every book at the Manoa public library. I also am a sucker for a great historical romance.

In addition, following the 2023 Oscars, I watched the new All Quiet on the Western Front. I spent 3 hours reading about the futility of the war in the trenches and wanted to read about what was going on in London from a female perspective. This is the book that needs to follow the watching of Western Front. It was worth staying up and finishing this in one sitting. This book follows the lives of two young women coming from the countryside into London just as London starts to prepare for war with Hitler's forces. This is the story of Grace in London and her relationships with her landlady, her grouchy boss and the dashing engineer she meets at the bookstore. Once France falls, England is in the war and everything changes for the characters, especially Grace. She feels like her friend Viv is the brave one, but Grace shines in the midst of chaos and tragedy. 

This is not really a YA novel, but it can be. The romance is mild, but some of the war activities are a bit gruesome. However, it is a walk in Hyde Park compared to the movie All Quiet on the Western Front, so use this novel to lift your spirits. This is for the YA or middle level reader who is fascinated by historical fiction and wants a window into WWII era London.

From the Publisher:

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and drawn curtains that she finds on her arrival are not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

Publication information:

Author: Madeline Martin

Publisher: Hanover Square Press (April 6, 2021)