Love Your Frenemies [Kindle Edition]

Mina V. Esguerra (Author)

Book Description

New adult/contemporary/chick lit: Yes, Universe, Kimmy Domingo knows that you hate her. But she's a nice person, she really is -- as long as you ignore the stories of people she's bullied, manipulated, and annoyed in the past. She totally gets that you've gotten back at her by having her fiance' dump her a week before their wedding. Soon after, she quit her job, hopped on a plane, and just hid from everyone who knew her.

A year later and she's back in Manila to be maid of honor at a wedding she can't miss. She's home because she's ready to start over, but she also knows that some people at that wedding were responsible for the mess her life turned out to be. The first step to recovery? Cutting off the ones who caused her troubles to begin with: her best friend and her first love.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mina V. Esguerra is a writer, editor and communications consultant based in Metro Manila. Fairy Tale Fail can be purchased from the Amazon Kindle Store. My Imaginary Ex and No Strings Attached are available in print in the Philippines.

Product Details

• File Size: 246 KB
• Print Length: 121 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1461105633
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Bright Girl Books (February 19, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004OL2NNS
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,544 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Because your frenemies are still your friends :) February 21, 2011

By Tina

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The release of Love Your Frenemies by Mina V. Esguerra totally made my Monday morning happier, and it also made me lose sleep because I couldn't put it down. I was so excited to read this that I put all other currently reads down, and the need to write my thoughts on feels more urgent than writing reviews for the two books that I need to reviews first. I can only think of two reasons why I have this urgency: it's because I really liked this book and I need to share my thoughts ASAP, and because I'm such a Mina fan. ;)

Love Your Frenemies features Kimberly Domingo, a familiar character for those who have read Mina's first book, My Imaginary Ex. For the uninitiated, Kimberly, also known as Kimmy, is the b*tch in her debut novel, the villain in Jasmine and Zack's romance. It's easy to hate her in that book as she was painted completely in black and white. More of a companion novel than a sequel, this gives us a different picture of Kimmy, one year after she left after being dumped by Zack. Kimmy goes back home for her best friend's wedding, changed from her one year absence. Determined to start over, she slowly faces all the things she left behind -- her family, her Country Club friends, her old job. She's also ready to cut off the people she's declared toxic in her life, namely her bride-to-be best friend, Chesca, and her first love, hunky and charismatic Manolo.

I love spin-off stories featuring other characters, especially the villains, because it gives readers an entirely different perspective. It's also a great character study and a perfect example of how our first impressions of people don't tell us much.... I like how Mina built Kimmy's back story here, making her less evil and just another person who had issues to deal with on her own, issues that happened to entangle other people. It shows that people aren't always black and white, but mostly gray.

I also liked that this one focused more on Kimmy's self-discovery and friendships than the romance. Oh sure, Manolo's hot (but I still find Lucas of Fairy Tale Fail hotter, LOL), but Kimmy's relationship with him wasn't the sole focus of the story. Love Your Frenemies isn't really just about love but about, well, frenemies. :) I liked how Mina made the other characters three-dimensional. Like the first Kimmy in My Imaginary Ex, some of them were easy to hate at first, but as the story unfolded, I started to somewhat understand why they did what they did, even if it's not what an ideal friend would do. I found myself feeling somewhat affectionate towards them in the end, and it further proves that people are not what you always believe them to be.

Love Your Frenemies is filled with flawed characters that paints a very accurate picture of how complicated and messy relationships -- family, friendships, and romantic ones -- are. It doesn't have any of those heart-stopping, tingle-inducing romance, but more of the introspection of a woman who's trying to build her life back from the mess that it has been and is determined not to make another mistake. The characters are far from perfect, and honestly I don't think they'd be my crowd, but they're definitely the kind of people that you'd want to be on your side even if they can be a pain in the neck more than half the time.

I think Love Your Frenemies show how much Mina really thinks about what she writes. It's difficult to give a voice to a villain and make her human and deserving of sympathy, but Mina does it almost effortlessly in her newest novel. Kimmy isn't your most lovable character, unlike Jasmine or Ellie or Carla from Mina's past novels, but she's the type of character that will stay with you long after you've reached the last page, teaching us important lessons on discovering yourself, forgiveness and the ties that bind.

Highly recommended, and don't think I'm saying that only because I'm such a fan. ;) Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Esguerra does it again! March 24, 2011

By L. H.

Format:Kindle Edition

This is how I felt after finishing Ms. Esguerra's latest e-book novella offering - :D

Having read My Imaginary Ex, I was not sure how a book all about the mean ex-fiancee from that book would turn into a likable heroine for this one, but it totally worked. My Imaginary Ex alternates between flashbacks and the present, and I really enjoyed how this book does the same thing. Although the book is related to My Imaginary Ex, reading it first (or at all) is not necessary to enjoying this book - it stands alone quite well.

Another great addition to the chick lit genre. This book is all about Kimmy - her friendships, her love life, and maybe becoming a little less self absorbed than she used to be.

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Surprise February 3, 2013

By C+A

Format:Kindle Edition

Original Blog Post on: [...]

When i received the book i thought to myself... wow this puts the pocket in pocket books! Its a tiny book with only a couple of pages, basically a novella and I wondered how much can you really get from such a short read. Then I remembered how much i enjoyed First Love, and told myself not to judge a book by its pages.

At first I thought it was rather odd reading a chick lit with so many local references. It took a little getting used to having the occasional taglish word mixed it, but once i picked up the pace, it was easy to kind of ease into the story and get used to the author's very familiar language.

The further I got into the story, the more interesting the characters became. Although I thought some of the flashback chapters transitioned rather roughly in the story, it was only in the end that i realized how essential this method of story-telling was to help build some mystery and excitement for the reader.

Strangely enough, I was rather fond of the leading lady, Kimberly Domingo (although not so much for her name). In the author's note, she wrote that she tried to make Kimmy an unlikeable character, but I actually felt that in the entirety she had one of the best, most vibrant personalities out of all the characters in the books.

Perhaps it's my strong western upbringing, but a character that takes pride in fiercely climbing the corporate ladder, embracing her overall sexuality and isn't afraid to speak her mind is an infinitely better character than the stereotypical maria clara type. Perhaps majority of the Filipinos aren't prepared for such a strong woman, but it is exciting to have characters like this slowly develop. So I would like to disagree with Kimmy being dislikable.... She is simply an empowered woman and a force to be reckoned with.

The protagonist's character was also surprisingly real. Although not all of us have the luxury of just walking out of our jobs and flying to LA, disappearing is something all of us secretly want to do after everything just all goes to s***. Kimmy's fleeing Manila was supposed to have made her a detestable person, but her sudden vanishing was one of the most human reactions. Immature, definitely. But that is one her most significant character flaws. It was that specific trait that stood between everything she ever desired.

Overall, I was rather fascinated by this book. It had all the makings of an enjoyable chick lit, most especially a debonair leading man that was oh-so-bad, yet oh-so-gorgeous at the same time. The type of leading man that you just want to hate, but cant stop smiling about. The pacing was very quick, but it was simply charming how the entire story just unfolded.

I definitely found it interesting that it was written by a local (Philippine) author, and truth be told, I'm rather intrigued about her other published stories as well. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected show of friendship... September 18, 2012

By Janus @ The Blair Book Project

Format:Kindle Edition

Kimmy Domingo is a b*tch. Everyone hates her. So when misfortune stroke and she got left by her fiancé days before their wedding, people thought she got what she deserved. Humiliated by what happened, Kimmy packed her bags, quit her job, and hopped on the next flight off to the States, cutting off all communications from everyone in her life. After a year of going MIA, Kimmy is back in Manila, ready to claim her life back. But where to begin?...

Kimmy is not the typical heroine that I am used to. She was the villain in Mina V. Esguerra's My Imaginary Ex, so I already had my mind set that she's a mean person. I apologize for being judgmental, Kimmy. It's difficult to empathize with a villain, but I'm really happy to see a different side of the character.

Anyway, I guess I can see why everyone hated her. She was a bully in high school, and she knew it. When it comes to her job, she's determined to succeed, even if it means stepping over people to get there. Although I find it an unappealing trait, I can't deny there is confidence within Kimmy that not everyone possesses. She knows what she wants, and she rocks at what she does. I may not entirely like her, but with this book, Kimmy has earned my respect.

While Mina Esguerra's other novels are more on the romance side, Love Your Frenemies focuses more on the relationship between friends. Of course this book isn't short on a love story and other issues, but I was really surprised about the story of how far a person would go to show how much he/she values a friend.

There are many forms of friendship. Not all last as long as you'd hope. Sometimes even those that you think are the worst kind of friends turn out to be the ones you can truly depend on.... This book proves that you really never know who your true friends are until you find them holding on to you in the deepest, most crucial part of your life, willing to lend a helping hand and keeping you afloat. Read more ›

More About the Author

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult novellas. Her young adult/fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is a college love story featuring gods from Philippine mythology. Her contemporary romance novella Fairy Tale Fail won the 2012 Filipino Readers' Choice award for Chick Lit. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in e-publishing.

When not writing romance, she is president of communications firm Bronze Age Media, development communication consultant, indie publisher, professional editor, wife, and mother. She created the workshop series "Author at Once" for writers and publishers, and she currently runs a free online Contemporary Romance Novella writing class on Facebook.