No Two Ways by Chi Yu Rodriguez
Publication Date: April 27, 2019
Source: Review Copy for Blog Tour
Amazon / #romanceclass
BOOK COVER INFO
Cover Models: Rachel Coates, Gab Pangilinan, Gio Gahol
Photographed by: Chi Yu Rodriguez
Cover Designed by: Chi Yu Rodriguez
Title Art by: Carla de Guzman
Styling by: Alex Lapa
AJ Felipe makes the most of being the head information security engineer for a local law firm with the help of her loyal team of nerds. Their job isn’t really the most fun, but things take a turn when one of her junior security engineers decides to nominate her for a makeover show.
Enter Jackie Niño, the one-night stand AJ didn’t expect to meet again—who also happens to be the makeup artist who’s going to get her all dolled up on national television.
More complications arise after the episode is aired and another ghost from her past comes back to haunt her: Axel Herrera, the ex-boyfriend who still thinks she left him because she’s a lesbian.
Spoiler alert: She isn’t.
Being bisexual is hard enough. How will AJ navigate new feelings while finding closure for old heartaches?
(Disclaimer: On-page F/F and M/F only)
2013 me would have been really ecstatic upon learning that a book with a bisexual MC set in the Philippines exists. Although, present me was really excited when I learned that Chi Yu Rodriguez was indeed writing this book. I have to thank her for it.
No Two Ways tells the story of AJ Felipe, an information security engineer,who likes to take things casual in a no strings attached kind of way, until she meets Jackie, her one night stand turned make up artist in a reality show she ended up joining.
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I loved AJ’s character, she’s headstrong and driven. She seemed to be the kind that won’t take shit from anyone. It was quite funny how I expected myself to relate with AJ being bisexual, but found more mundane things about her relatable, like commuting in Metro Manila traffic, or having one constant group of friends.
Not that I’m saying her being bi wasn’t relatable, which makes my second point, AJ’s personality wasn’t solely defined by her being bi, and again I thank Chi for that.
It was never the most comfortable experience explaining my sexuality to other people. Being bisexual was literally not black or white.
I wish I could say the same for Jackie and Axel. I just wish their characters were more fleshed out, although given the length of this novella, it would be quite the challenge. What I appreciated with their characters was their willingness to learn and understand AJ’s sexual orientation. Heck, Jackie even called herself out when she realized that she was being an ass about it. Sometimes, on-page character realizations are the things that make stories more heartfelt.
I hope that this won’t be the last time we’ll see these characters. We know how #romanceclass authors love to give their readers some easter eggs, like when Punky and Jazz made some sort of cameo in this book.
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Overall, this book might be a quick read, but I found myself really immersed with the story. I sort of expected that this would be a love triangle, but I’m glad it didn’t go along that road. You all know how I feel about love triangles.
If you’re looking for a quick read with funny quips, cool friends, adorable family, and some steamy F/F romance (Yes, I wasn’t ready for all of that, I got caught off guard hahaha!), then I’m going to throw this book right at your direction!
If you have any recommendations for Queer YA or Adult Romance novels, particularly with bisexual main characters, let me know down in the comments!
No Two Ways by Chi Yu Rodriguez No Two Ways by Chi Yu Rodriguez Publication Date: April 27, 2019 Source: Review Copy for Blog Tour…
