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Love Your Frenemies

by Mina V. Esguerra (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 130 ratings · 32 reviews

Kimmy Domingo was the kind of girl everyone hated and envied -- until her fiancé dumped 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.

Kimmy's home because she's ready to start over, but she also knows that some p...more

Kindle Edition

Published February 21st 2011 (first published February 11th 2011)

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Community Reviews

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Feb 14, 2013 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, english, given-away, pinoy, romance

This book is officially my 1000th read as captured here on Goodreads!

When I joined here in March 2009, I listed on paper all the books I thought I've read completely (from cover to cover) since my childhood days. I still remember the number: 97 books mostly novels. One thousand books for me means that for the past 4 years since I joined, I was able to read on the average, 220 books per year or 20 books per month or 1 book per week. Not bad for somebody who was only able to read 97 books in the p...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Ycel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, filipiniana, romance

This is Mina V. Esguerra's best book (imho), because her Kimmy reminds me of GRRM's Jaime Lannister whom I hated with a passion in A Game of Thrones. But five books later, I find Jaime's character development the most interesting. Kimmy is much the same way. She was so easy to hate in My Imaginary Ex, but Mina changed my mind and heart about her in Love Your Frenemies.

Update 15 March 2013: I read this before Interim Goddess of Love, but I still give it 5 stars because it's not easy writing about...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Janice (Janicu) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another 3.5. Very robust in the character development in this one. A heroine with more issues.

Review originally posted on my book blog here

The Premise: Kimberly Domingo grew up in privilege. A fixture of the Country Club, she was raised alongside two daughters of her mother's college circle, Chesca and Isabel, who became her closest friends. In high school, she got what she wanted by being direct (and intimidating), and at work, she got ahead easily with the same directness and ambition. She wa...more Another 3.5. Very robust in the character development in this one. A heroine with more issues.

Review originally posted on my book blog here

The Premise: Kimberly Domingo grew up in privilege. A fixture of the Country Club, she was raised alongside two daughters of her mother's college circle, Chesca and Isabel, who became her closest friends. In high school, she got what she wanted by being direct (and intimidating), and at work, she got ahead easily with the same directness and ambition. She was the girl people loved to hate. The only person that can trip up Kimmy is Manolo, an on-again, off-again fling she's had since she was fifteen. Unfortunately, Manolo's M.O. seems to be: make Kimmy melt, then disappear. Then Kimmy met Zack. They were supposed to get married, but Zack broke off the engagement, leaving Kimmy the object of scorn and rumor. Unable to deal with it anymore, Kimmy left the country. Now, many months later, she's back for her her best friend's wedding. This time though, Kimmy thinks she knows how to get her life back in order - by cutting off the toxic friends that put her in the position she found herself in months ago.

My Thoughts: This story is told in alternating chapters that tell the story of what's going on now that Kimmy is home, and what happened months ago, before her failed wedding. There were times, reading about Kimmy's past, that I just didn't understand her, particularly at the start this story. Compared to the dreamer main character Fairy Tale Fail, Kimmy was a much harder character to love. She's a girl who is incredibly confident that what she thinks is how things are, who doesn't seem to have any regrets being a Mean Girl growing up.

"If you went to school with us, you would think that Chesca and I had a lot of friends -- but really, it was just us. We let one girl join our "group" because she had a driver and her own car. Another because she was good at math and she let Chesca copy off her once. We also kicked people out of our group fairly regularly, if and when they stopped being useful, so yeah, we weren't very nice.
And this is how we did it: Chesca invited the girl into the group, and I eventually did something to kick her out. But we made decisions together, and just played different roles. She was always the angel, and I was always the witch."

Kimmy is self-aware about who she is. This is the story about the not-nice girl - the girl who is actually the villain from the point of view of another Esguerra book (My Imaginary Ex), much like Darcy of Something Blue by Emily Giffin. She's not so nice, but at the same time, it's obvious that she's still going through something and she hasn't figured out her life yet. It takes some time, but slowly the reader begins to realize that Kimmy could be harder on herself and her friends than they all deserve. How she sees things colors what really happened, and people change as they grow up. I really liked the way Kimmy's relationships were portrayed in this book. They were a little dysfunctional but realistic. It was refreshing to have a story with the dramatic best friend that demonstrates her love in a different way.

Love Your Frenemies felt like an internal story. We're in Kimmy's head a lot, and a lot of history and back story is implied. She grew up with Isabel and Chesca and Manolo and they are such a huge part of her life she will always feel their impact. It takes a little time to get into that part of the story, but it feels very organic the way Kimmy narrates as things happen and as she remembers the past. I really enjoyed the perspective from a more messed up, less happy heroine. If I were to have a complaint, it would be that I wanted more of a connection to the romance. I could tell that it was the kind of romance that devastates a person, but I felt like I was seeing it through the lens of time, and I wanted to understand Manolo's perspective better.

Overall: The trials and tribulations of the not-nice girl was a refreshing perspective in this chick lit novella and I liked the depth and development that went into the story in such small space.
(less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Josephine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, pinoy, pinoy-read-2013, filipino-author

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My third Mina Esguerra book. I really love her books mainly because her characters are believable.

The main character of this book—Kimmy Domingo—reminded me of one of my best friends. For not only is she very good in marketing [she's a natural], she was also a 'bully' [no, she didn't bully classmates for assignments because she was very good in class, she just tease her friends mercilessly]. But most of all, she doesn't take crap and nonsense, and while she doesn't really do the 'pakikisama' thi...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Raya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

This book is pretty great though it was somewhat confusing. I liked the character of Kimmy; she can be really such a -uhh- "bitch" sometimes. And I can perfectly imagine how hot Manolo is. Haha. But, I think Kimmy's a bit indecisive at times. But I really liked the over-confident Kimmy in work. You know, the part where she narrated the things that she have done that made them--according to people she's working with, hate her. And of course, I loved the relationship of the three "step-sisters."

"...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hopeless romantic, young adults, down in the dumps

*Might contain few/some spoilers*

I've been scouring all over the net and from one bookstore to another just to find this book. And finally, I've managed to find it (it must be destiny!)

Thinking about it now, I don't really know what was in the book that made me get my hands on it as soon as possible. Maybe it was the cover? The swirls of colors? Because I liked the purple/pinkish hue? The way it was drawn? Or maybe because the main character's name was the same as mine? Just the first name, Kim...more *Might contain few/some spoilers*

I've been scouring all over the net and from one bookstore to another just to find this book. And finally, I've managed to find it (it must be destiny!)

Thinking about it now, I don't really know what was in the book that made me get my hands on it as soon as possible. Maybe it was the cover? The swirls of colors? Because I liked the purple/pinkish hue? The way it was drawn? Or maybe because the main character's name was the same as mine? Just the first name, Kimberly aka Kimmy.

Whatever it was or whatever factors pushed me to look for this and read this must have been quite powerful. Yep. Okay. It was another addicting read for me. I flipped from one page to another because it made me curious. It made me want to understand what happened.

When I read description at the back, my initial thought was that Kimmy's ex left her for her best friend and now, those two are getting married.

And of course, I was wrong. BUT! I'm glad I was! Well, I don't particularly like to admit that I'm wrong per se, but during this situations, I'm happy that I was because it was different from what I've expected.

I loved Kimmy Domingo. Everything about her. She was someone who stood up for herself and worked hard to get what she wanted. At the same time, she knows when to stop and step back from the "limelight". She knows when to suck it up and swallow her pride.

And then there's Manolo. The hot guy who suddenly pops out of nowhere and then suddenly disappears. He and Kimmy go way back to their teen years and you can say that they have a lot of history together.

After I finished reading the book, I had a glimpse of their feelings for each other but I didn't have the chance to feel it. And I guess, that was what I was a bit frustrated about. I only had pieces of the puzzle (from the flashbacks) but I can't truly believe that what they were feeling was indeed love, that they were not just hung up with the past.

Nevertheless, maybe it's just me. Because I'm so damn curious about what happened to their relationship after. *sigh* Still, I loved it. Every minute of reading this was worth it. It's one of those lighthearted reads that you can just pick up whenever you're down-in-the-dumps or so. (less)

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Mar 28, 2013 Marjorie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, filipino-author

This is my second book by this author and I have to say that I think I'm going to be a regular reader of hers. I thought the main character was bitchy but I didn't hate her because she was strong and opinionated and proud and just a little bit vulnerable-- qualities that I can relate to. So I really liked her voice here. It was very distinct and relateable.

The love interest, Manolo, was the kind of guy I could easily hate. He's charming and everything, being hot one moment and cold the next. I'm...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Peppermintstash rated it 5 of 5 stars

During the weekend I had a Mina V. Esguerra-book-marathon :)and I so loved this book. :) Maybe because Kimmy, the book's main character, exudes confidence, strength and a hint of bad girl genes which is different from the damsel in distress, kawawa maiden types there is.

She is brutally frank, and she does not care what other people might think of her. Which is why at some point she deluded herself that even the people close to her could only see her on the surface. Her process of mending? Well.....more

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Mar 11, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, filipino

Good-looking, popular, Manilla professional Kimmy has gone into hiding. She was just dumped over the phone a few days before her wedding, and she can’t face the humiliation at work or within her country club barkada. She is even taking a break from the digital world, ignoring both her cellphone and her email. She only returns a year later because her best friend Chesca has asked her to be maid of honor at her wedding. Kimmy reluctantly returns, this time with the resolution to stay away from hot...more Good-looking, popular, Manilla professional Kimmy has gone into hiding. She was just dumped over the phone a few days before her wedding, and she can’t face the humiliation at work or within her country club barkada. She is even taking a break from the digital world, ignoring both her cellphone and her email. She only returns a year later because her best friend Chesca has asked her to be maid of honor at her wedding. Kimmy reluctantly returns, this time with the resolution to stay away from hot, off and on childhood friend Manolo, who got her into the mess that is her personal life in the first place. But as part of the wedding and son of her mother’s friend, he keeps showing up. More than she knows, Manolo is serious about being in her life, but will Kimmy let him in as she learns from the mistakes of her diva ways?

After reading and enjoying Mina V. Esguerra’s last book My Imaginary Ex I was pleasantly surprised to learn she had another Kindle publication in the works. I was even more pleasantly surprised to discover the main character would be the villain of her last novel. All euphemisms aside the Kimmy from My Imaginary Ex is frankly a b*tch. Since I don’t want to give any spoilers away let’s just say it’s pretty obvious and undeniable based on her actions towards Zach. So I was very curious as to how Mina could flesh her out into a dimensional, sympathetic character. Because readers had no reason to like her by the end of MIE. Unexpectedly enough, Kimmy’s characterization is the strong point of Love Your Frenemies and why it stands out as one of my favorite books by Esguerra. Using an already familiar character was a smart move on her part since it essentially gave her two books to develop a side character into a really interesting protagonist. Even before you learn the circumstances surrounding the event that made Kimmy look like pure scum in MIE, I was rooting for her. Being left at the altar broke her, and now she’s willing to acknowledge her snobbish arrogance while still remain her confident, at times cockily assured self. Here's one of my favorite, laugh-out-loud passages that illustrates how Kimmy has remained herself but a more sympathetic version:

"Okay, so your officemate really does seem to hate you," he said, approaching after Marjorie dismissed me.

"You thought I was kidding? She thinks I stole her boyfriend. She won't even share the hotel room with me." I laughed softly. "She probably thinks I'm going to stab her in her sleep."

"Yeah right," Manolo said. "She's just an assistant manager. It's not worth it."

I laughed from my belly at that, and it felt really good. It wasn't polite to admit it, but being mean together was fun.

But don't do it, kids.

Funny, huh? I love when I’m able to connect with a character who’s very different from myself. As expected I also enjoyed the writing, which is smooth and easy to read, and the other characters, who are not one note. Overall Love your Frenemies was a delightful read that is highly recommended to chick lit fans and leaves me wanting more as a now very committed Mina V. Esguerra fan.(less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, chick-lit, 2011, filipino, indie

Original post at One More Page

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 review 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...more

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Feb 23, 2011 Celester Mejia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Posted originally on From Page One

It’s no secret how much I admire Mina V. Esguerra as an author. That is why when I heard that Love Your Frenemies is already out, I started bugging the closest of my friends to let me borrow freakin’ $0.99 to buy this e-book using their credit card as I don’t have one. Sad but true. But on the lighter note, a friend (my LL) let me use hers (or was that her sister’s). I quickly jumped to Smashwords’ website, bought it, and that how I got my happy ending.

Or was th...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Chachic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: by-a-filipino-author, book-crack, ebooks, best-of-2011

Originally posted here.

First off, I want to say that I love how simple yet appropriate the cover for this and Mina's other ebook, Fairy Tale Fail , are. I like them much better than the covers of My Imaginary Ex and No Strings Attached. I also find it convenient that Mina decided to go with an ebook for this one because it's much easier (and cheaper) to obtain a copy. You can buy it from either Amazon or Smashwords. I know it's a sequel of sorts to one of her other books but I believe it stands...more Originally posted here.

First off, I want to say that I love how simple yet appropriate the cover for this and Mina's other ebook, Fairy Tale Fail , are. I like them much better than the covers of My Imaginary Ex and No Strings Attached. I also find it convenient that Mina decided to go with an ebook for this one because it's much easier (and cheaper) to obtain a copy. You can buy it from either Amazon or Smashwords. I know it's a sequel of sorts to one of her other books but I believe it stands well on its own and there's no need to read that one first. It would be a good idea though because you'd get a picture of how other people see Kimmy instead of just being inside her head. Love Your Frenemies is told from alternating past and present situations so you get an idea of what Kimmy was going through during the events of My Imaginary Ex. Kimmy got dumped by her fiancé days before their supposed wedding. He suddenly realized that he's still in love with someone else and that he couldn't go through with the wedding. Harsh, right? But a lot of people believe that Kimmy deserved what she got because she's such a bitch.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book more than My Imaginary Ex. You know the saying that goes, "there's always two sides to every story"? This is Kimmy's side. I can understand why other people find her rude, manipulative and heartless. Kimmy is smart, beautiful and she knows it. She admits that she tends to be overconfident. She doesn't go out of her way to hurt and manipulate other people, it's just that she can't be bothered to be nice. Kimmy has a turbulent relationship with her best gal pal, Chesca, because they're the epitome of mean girls. Kimmy and Chesca ruled their high school - they got to decide who would become members of their clique based on how useful their classmates were. Both girls understand how the other person thinks and that's why they're such good friends and why they also have the worst fights. They know what to say to get the other person riled up. Another person who is one of the major reasons why Kimmy's so messed up is her first love, Manolo. Handsome, charming and witty Manolo. Can I just say that I can't get over his name because it's such an old school Filipino name? I feel like if I knew someone named Manolo, he'd be nicknamed something shorter and more modern like Manny or Nollie. Ever since they were teenagers, Manolo has been blowing hot and cold and Kimmy knows it's stupid to hope for a steady relationship but she can't help it. Kimmy's story isn't centered on the romance but instead focuses on her relationships with the Country Club set of people that she grew up with. It's not surprising that she's not a nice person because of all the drama in her life - it's like a constant soap opera.

What I love about Mina's books is how believable they all are. I may not love all of her books but I can believe that her stories actually happen to other people. It's everything about her work - the familiar places, the situations that you can relate to, the characters that feel like they could be your friends. Maybe it's also because I feel like I'm the target audience of her books - a twenty-something Filipina. This is another enjoyable read from Mina V. Esguerra and as always, I look forward to reading her next one. (less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Lynai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

Reading chick-lit is like my comfort food which consists of fried chicken, spaghetti, and Coke. It is a welcome respite every time I finish books I consider as hard readings. I have actually just began reading chick-lit voluntarily this year, and I started with Emily Griffin’s Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I found that chick-lit isn’t actually that bad to my taste at all, and since I’ve heard that there’s a local author — Mina V. Esguerra — who is acclaimed in this genre, I decided to t...more Reading chick-lit is like my comfort food which consists of fried chicken, spaghetti, and Coke. It is a welcome respite every time I finish books I consider as hard readings. I have actually just began reading chick-lit voluntarily this year, and I started with Emily Griffin’s Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I found that chick-lit isn’t actually that bad to my taste at all, and since I’ve heard that there’s a local author — Mina V. Esguerra — who is acclaimed in this genre, I decided to try one of her books. It’s been sheer luck that I saw her tweet about a free copy available on Smashwords, so I didn’t waste any time in downloading and immediately set to reading.

Good thing that I did because it was just the perfect read for the perfect time. I immensely enjoyed the story and I can say that I am now a fan. ;)

Love Your Frenemies is a story about Kimmy Domingo who is back in the the country after a year-long hiatus overseas. You see, she was dumped by her fiance a week before her wedding and escaping was her way to cope. However, she has to go back for her best friend’s wedding, and she found it the perfect first step towards building her life again. But first, she has to confront all the issues she left behind, including the persons who contributed to the heartbreak she’s been through.

The main character in this story, Kimmy Domingo, is contrary to the typical main characters because she is spiteful and selfish. In short, she’s a b*tch. Reading about Kimmy Domingo reminds me of Darcy Rhone in Something Blue. However, what I find likeable is Kimmy”s honesty and her sheer determination to change her life. Mina V. Esguerra has made Kimmy very realistic and believable by including her flaws and her bad side, and at the same time revealing that there is more to her character than what meets the eye.

I love the depth of the characters portrayed in this supposedly feel-good novel. It is not just a mere story; it is a story with sense. It talks about human relationships, including its flaws, and how each one of us must learn and accept each other as what we are.

“I came today because I realized that if I can’t forgive her and love her as she is, then I can’t expect anyone to do the same for me.”

The writing? It is simple and flowing, very easy to read. All in all, Love Your Frenemies is an outstanding local book of the genre that we, Pinoys, can be proud of. More of Mina V. Esguerra, please?

Also posted in It's A Wonderful Bookworld!(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-ebook, filipino-reads, yabc-tbr-2012, owned-paperback

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....more 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 judgemental, 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.

For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com (less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mina V. Esguerra fans

Shelves: contemporary, e-book

I recommend Love Your Frenemies.

*****

After reading Fairy Tale Fail, my hopes weren't high that i will like another Esguerra book. Still, since it was just a short read, i gave in.

Halfway through Love Your Frenemies, I was ready to chuck my Kindle. Why? This book is about toxic relationships! thank goodness everything turned around in the end. This is my 2nd Esguerra favorite after Interim Goddess of Love.

When life screws you over, it's so easy to just pack up your things and leave, right? Right...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm on the fence on this story. I didn't quite get the emotions because I think everything was rushed (at 67 pages, ebook format). I've read My Imaginary Ex and felt I could relate more to the heroine in that story compared to this one. The "Then" and "Now" chapters didn't suit me; I felt disconnected to the narrative. While I know for some it would provide a good background to the plot, I felt dislodged from the normal flow of things. I also didn't feel that much chemistry between Kimmy and Man...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Joyce Manrique rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: filipino, unique-plot

Love Your Frenemies is a story about a girl who ran away from everybody after a traumatic experience in her life. She came back to the Philippines in order to attend her best friend's wedding, but after that, she will disappear from them. I was kind of really bothered by Kimmy's perspective in her life that it's pretty hard to decide whether I like her or not. Still, I enjoyed this book as it is full of self-realization in life. Even I, a selfish bitch, understood what it should be like to think...more

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May 12, 2013 Phoebe Andamo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, love, filipino

At this very moment, I know that I will break some girls' hearts because of my (it's ok) rating (view spoiler). There are some of Mina Esguerra's works I like. It's just that I didn't enjoy this much; maybe because I could not relate on the characters that are beautiful, successful, liberated, mean(view spoiler), and those who have gone through past relationships because I'm quite the opposite. Though, it's good to...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star

1 1/2 stars rounded up. Novella (not a full book). Can read the ebook directly at Goodreads. Synopsis/blurb is wrong. Lemme summarize the real story since it's not a sympathetic character getting dumped before the altar. I did not at all like this due to plotline and characters (although to be honest characters pretty cardboard) but not badly written and the "feel" of the setting came across well.

Meangirl/Countryclub-princess has frenemy relationships with her gal pals and an on/off thing with h...more 1 1/2 stars rounded up. Novella (not a full book). Can read the ebook directly at Goodreads. Synopsis/blurb is wrong. Lemme summarize the real story since it's not a sympathetic character getting dumped before the altar. I did not at all like this due to plotline and characters (although to be honest characters pretty cardboard) but not badly written and the "feel" of the setting came across well.

Meangirl/Countryclub-princess has frenemy relationships with her gal pals and an on/off thing with her first love. Gets engaged to cardboard perfect co-worker; then the virginal bride-to-be loses it to (view spoiler); then coworker dumps her for another reason (she of course innocent victim since coworker did not find out about the one-nighter). Ashamed to face her queenly circle she takes off for a year and does the couch kid thing with various people (I'm okay with the taking off to regroup and not have to face painful encounters with exes) -- not really detailed in novella which is basically a back-then and skip to current times thing.

Back home a week before frenemy Cesca's wedding as her maid of honor (required since Kim had made Cesca hers at the canceled wedding). Throughout novella, it's established she and Cesca basically only nice to those they can use and only for as long as potentially useful -- and yet book dwells on her endless whines about how no one likes her, she always gets taken the wrong way, co-workers and others don't understand how schmoozing really gets you ahead faster than anything else so they should not be jealous (a work crisis to prove her point of course because this character is always right and always mistreated with everyone but herself to be blamed) and if she had nothing to do with you until you are potentially useful (for example, if you become her boss) you are not supposed to notice but just happily play along.

First love a particularly cringe-worthy storyline with them together, then not (sometimes from a fight sometimes just from him picking up and moving on), then he's with someone else, then not, then together. Twenty-seven year old she and her Mom depend on the divorced dad to keep them in lifestyle to which they are accustomed including country club memberships. (view spoiler).

Whew! Think this review just re-wrote the novella for you without some of the snobbery so maybe you can skip the read.(less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Monique rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, chicklit, fiction, filipino, kindle, romance

This is Mina's third work that I've had the pleasure of reading so far. (I am into the first few chapters of Interim Goddess of Love.) After having read Fairy Tale Fail and No Strings Attached last year, I can safely conclude that Love Your Frenemies is a far better, more engaging, and substantial read than the first two.

One week before her date at the altar, Kimmy Domingo's fiance, Zack, unceremoniously dumps her. (I say unceremoniously because the dumping was made via phone call. Jerk.) Sh...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Pauline rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would like to declare my love for Miss Mina and her works. I've only read three books from her, and Love Your Frenemies, Kimmy Domingo's story, is probably and will be my favorite. We first saw Kimmy on My Imaginary Ex as the kontrabida of Zack and Jasmine's happily ever after, not knowing the real story behind everything. Yes, that includes the "Kimmy cheats on Zack" before the wedding. And with this book, I totally get it. I understand, Kimmy, why you have to do that. I understand now and re...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Venessaa ♡☮♫ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: two-o-thirteeen

I really loved the lesson that I got from this book.
The story is about Kimmy. She is a girl who went away, practically, for a year to forget all about her past, which involves a wrecked weepdding and a relationship.
But the problem is, she doesn't really care about the wedding anymore. It is always the one person that keeps on coming back to he even though she doesn't want to.
Throughout the book, I've seen Kimmy do the right things and apmake everything better. Loved it!

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Mar 24, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, novellas, chick-lit

This is how I felt after finishing Ms. Esguerra's latest e-book 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 is not at all necessary to enjoying this book - it stands alone qui...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Jinky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

(3.5)
What a cute story. Well worth the $.99 I paid to purchase it. Of course, I liked the setting ..Philippines! My native country, so I caught on to the lingo/customs that it discoursed. Anyway, this book was about getting personal with Kimmy, the protagonist. We get her point of view through see-sawing of past-present time line. Although romance was in the midst, the main focus was understanding one's role in the intimate, economic, and social dynamics of family and friends. The tender twist t...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nina by: Tina

Shelves: ebooks, i-own-it, 2011-purchases

This would be my first ebook purchased ever and all i can say is, it's worth my $0.99. [hehe]

Kimmy for me is an egoist. She is selfish indeed. She blamed other people for all the vicissitudes of her own life.

and I think that Manolo guy, is definetely H-O-T. [haha] I think I'm in love with him. :)

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Nov 02, 2012 Pamela Gayrama rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's wonderful to know the other side of the story. When I read My Imaginary Ex, my view of Kimmy was pretty harsh but now that I know what she was going through, I kind of took pity on her. I really loved that story. :)

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Jan 29, 2013 Mira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like the friendship bond of Kimmy, Sab and Chesca! They have clashing personalities but they understand each other. :)

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Aug 19, 2011 Nenette rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Filipina author with two Kindle books to her name - just awesome! It's refreshing to read a story set in familiar places and with your own people as characters who talk a familiar language (Filipino English). The story was short, fast and fun. The setting is so urban chic, which is where the author is probably coming from, and I believe this is her genre (this being my second book of hers). It would be most welcome if she tries her hand on a story (chic-lit or otherwise) depicting the lower cl...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Maria Ella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit, pinoy-publication, romance, 2013-reading-challenge

Kimmy rocks!
Oh yeah, hi Manolo. *smirks*

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Jan 20, 2013 Marlyn Marquez rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Sorry but I didn't actually like it. The plot is a bit messy and the main character doesn't seem to even realize what she does and doesn't like. Her connection with the other characters were less complicated but they made it look like it has profound complications. I almost finished the whole book asking myself "Where's the exciting part?" and "What's the problem again?". Anyways, you can try reading it when you need to kill time. Sorry.

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About Mina V. Esguerra

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance and young adult novellas. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Development Communication, put to good use in her work as trainer and content management consultant. Mina lives in Metro Manila, Philippines, with her husband and daughter.

She finds inspiration in the lives and experiences of other people, so the answer to "I...more

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Interim Goddess of Love (Interim Goddess of Love, #1)

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Quotes from Love Your Frenemies

“So we liked to speak our minds, but not our hearts. Too bad, because sometimes people needed to hear that. A whole mess of things could have been avoided if we just knew how to say the right thing.” — 17 people liked it

“I came today because I realized that if I can't forgive her and love her as she is, then I can't expect anyone to do the same for me.” — 1 person liked it

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