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Interim Goddess of Love #2
Queen of the Clueless
If you've been feeling neglected by the Goddess of Love lately, don't worry -- Hannah Maquiling, college sophomore, is in training to take over. The Original Goddess is missing, but Hannah is Interim Goddess now, and she should figure out how to solve humanity's love problems soon. Quin (God of the Sun) is still her mentor, still really hot, but apparently isn't as honest about his other earthly relationships as she thought. It's frustrating, and enough to make her check out possibilities with Diego (God of the Sea) and Robbie (Cute Human).
In the meantime, she's decided to spend some of her precious training time helping to break up a relationship, instead of putting one together. Why? Because the girl in question happens to be her best friend Sol, whose boyfriend is stealing not just from her, but from other people on campus. Sol didn't exactly summon the Goddess, but this is what power over Love is for, right? Surely it's not just about matchmaking, but ending doomed relationships too. (Even when it's not what people want.)
In the meantime, she's decided to spend some of her precious training time helping to break up a relationship, instead of putting one together. Why? Because the girl in question happens to be her best friend Sol, whose boyfriend is stealing not just from her, but from other people on campus. Sol didn't exactly summon the Goddess, but this is what power over Love is for, right? Surely it's not just about matchmaking, but ending doomed relationships too. (Even when it's not what people want.)
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2013
8 people are currently reading
573 people want to read
About the author
Mina V. Esguerra
47 books597 followersMina 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 "Is this story based on you?" is always, always "No."
She finds inspiration in the lives and experiences of other people, so the answer to "Is this story based on you?" is always, always "No."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 10, 2014
Definitely better than the first book, Interim Goddess of Love (3 stars). I almost gave this a 4-star rating, because there were times that I felt I was really liking it. Three scenes: (1) those parts when Hannah is communicating to many people via her mind? unbelievably awesome idea and Esguerra was able to execute this properly; (2) that scene when Robbie and Hannah are eating peanut spaghetti and Hannah reads Robbie's thought: "I wonder if she'll let me have her leftover spaghetti." I laughed out loud; and (3) the chess game in the end reminded me of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (3 stars). At first, I wondered what were those letters and numbers but later I figured that out and for a while had to picture what's happening in the chessboard and again, I thought Esguerra made a clever idea of incorporating it into the story.
So, why I am not giving this a 4-star rating? Because I have read varied books belong to different literary genres and if I put all these books side-by-side, this would still fall among those that I liked. Maybe a 3.5? But Goodreads has no increments of half point. Also, I am a believer of normal distribution curve (Gaussian or inverted bell) and having 1,100 books read since I joined Goodreads three years ago, most that means 80% of those should have a rating of 3. So, you see? For my books read, I still have an average rating of 2.8. When I liked a book, I gave it a rating of 3.0 and it is not a "neutral" rating for me. I meant, I liked the book.
And why I am reading chick lit alongside Samuel Beckett? It is because I love variety. Chick lit is not really for women. There are also male characters and we (the straight men) should know how our female counterparts, especially the romantic ones, want to view us. I am past my midlife crisis and I have no plan of having an extramarital affair by having a young girl as a lover. But I have a daughter and she sometimes has big time crushes with men who look like me hehe. So, it would help me understand how young girls behave nowadays. Well, I also have to mention that at least, so far, in this Interim Goddess of Love, Esguerra has not injected any premarital sex (unlike in her other earlier books) so this is a nice read especially for a parent like me.
Although if after reading the third and final book, I feel that it also deserves at least a 3.5 rating, I would give it a four or a five.
Mina, you are doing great with this series. Please give it a good whooping conclusion. I can't wait!
So, why I am not giving this a 4-star rating? Because I have read varied books belong to different literary genres and if I put all these books side-by-side, this would still fall among those that I liked. Maybe a 3.5? But Goodreads has no increments of half point. Also, I am a believer of normal distribution curve (Gaussian or inverted bell) and having 1,100 books read since I joined Goodreads three years ago, most that means 80% of those should have a rating of 3. So, you see? For my books read, I still have an average rating of 2.8. When I liked a book, I gave it a rating of 3.0 and it is not a "neutral" rating for me. I meant, I liked the book.
And why I am reading chick lit alongside Samuel Beckett? It is because I love variety. Chick lit is not really for women. There are also male characters and we (the straight men) should know how our female counterparts, especially the romantic ones, want to view us. I am past my midlife crisis and I have no plan of having an extramarital affair by having a young girl as a lover. But I have a daughter and she sometimes has big time crushes with men who look like me hehe. So, it would help me understand how young girls behave nowadays. Well, I also have to mention that at least, so far, in this Interim Goddess of Love, Esguerra has not injected any premarital sex (unlike in her other earlier books) so this is a nice read especially for a parent like me.
Although if after reading the third and final book, I feel that it also deserves at least a 3.5 rating, I would give it a four or a five.
Mina, you are doing great with this series. Please give it a good whooping conclusion. I can't wait!
June 28, 2015
For more reviews, please visit my blog at Thoughts and Pens.
Dear Miss Mina,
First and foremost, thank you for this. Queen of the Clueless was a breather after working my ass out finishing 7 novels in 10 days. This was an easy read with a lot of humor that the wrinkles I got during the past days were instantly erased. I liked the first book but I fell in love with this one what with the toe curling scenes and awkward moments you've thrown my way.
I am very grateful that you answered a lot of my questions and granted some of my wishes. I loved that Hannah's project in this book was Sol. That made things more complicated than it is. God knows how I love complications. And oh my golly. You literally creeped me out with Neil Prado. It's like he was endowed with a dark version of Venus' charmspeak prowess which seriously repulsed me. Way to go.
Speaking of Sol, I was really hoping that she would at least end up with Diego Simon ya know? Diego is perhaps my most favourite character in the IGOL series. He had the loudest voice of all with his recklessness, impulsiveness and plain bad boy attitude. And I couldn't help fangirling about him in this book. Can you please make another novella featuring Diego Simon and his would be love interest? Pretty please because I want to read more of him.
Although I am crazy about Diego, it doesn't mean that I didn't notice Robbie. He is such a pleasant character and I adore his crazy thoughts. Dammit! They were so delectably outrageous that it was difficult for me to tell him that Hannah already belongs to Quin. Nonetheless, I still want a happy ending for him in the last book. So you better give him that, Miss.
I appreciated that you put more substance into this book as compared to the other one. You expanded the Filipino mythos here which is the main reason why I was glued to this series like a second skin. And the fact that you ensured that romance didn't eclipse the overall story made me a happy camper.
Really, the only thing that made my heart sink while reading this book is there's a lot of Quin but there's so little of him. If you know what I mean.
All in all, this is an excellent second book and my favourite as of now. I even welcomed the cliffhangery ending which I deemed is necessary to gear up the stage in book 3. But before I'm gonna end this letter, remember my other unmet demands. And don't forget about Diego's story. Look into that please.
Until next time.
Sincerely,
Charlotte
Dear Miss Mina,
First and foremost, thank you for this. Queen of the Clueless was a breather after working my ass out finishing 7 novels in 10 days. This was an easy read with a lot of humor that the wrinkles I got during the past days were instantly erased. I liked the first book but I fell in love with this one what with the toe curling scenes and awkward moments you've thrown my way.
I am very grateful that you answered a lot of my questions and granted some of my wishes. I loved that Hannah's project in this book was Sol. That made things more complicated than it is. God knows how I love complications. And oh my golly. You literally creeped me out with Neil Prado. It's like he was endowed with a dark version of Venus' charmspeak prowess which seriously repulsed me. Way to go.
Speaking of Sol, I was really hoping that she would at least end up with Diego Simon ya know? Diego is perhaps my most favourite character in the IGOL series. He had the loudest voice of all with his recklessness, impulsiveness and plain bad boy attitude. And I couldn't help fangirling about him in this book. Can you please make another novella featuring Diego Simon and his would be love interest? Pretty please because I want to read more of him.
Although I am crazy about Diego, it doesn't mean that I didn't notice Robbie. He is such a pleasant character and I adore his crazy thoughts. Dammit! They were so delectably outrageous that it was difficult for me to tell him that Hannah already belongs to Quin. Nonetheless, I still want a happy ending for him in the last book. So you better give him that, Miss.
I appreciated that you put more substance into this book as compared to the other one. You expanded the Filipino mythos here which is the main reason why I was glued to this series like a second skin. And the fact that you ensured that romance didn't eclipse the overall story made me a happy camper.
Really, the only thing that made my heart sink while reading this book is there's a lot of Quin but there's so little of him. If you know what I mean.
All in all, this is an excellent second book and my favourite as of now. I even welcomed the cliffhangery ending which I deemed is necessary to gear up the stage in book 3. But before I'm gonna end this letter, remember my other unmet demands. And don't forget about Diego's story. Look into that please.
Until next time.
Sincerely,
Charlotte
February 12, 2013
Originally posted here.
Queen of the Clueless by Mina V. Esguerra is the sequel to Interim Goddess of Love . Do the books need to be read in order? I think so because that will give the reader a better understanding of the story. In fact, I reread the first book before starting on this because I didn't want to be confused about the characters and everything that happened before. These books are Filipino young adult fiction that has a hint of local mythology (so "goddess" in the title of the first book isn't a metaphor). It's going to be a trilogy and there's no release date for the third book yet but I'm hoping it will be published soon.
Hannah is still the temporary Goddess of Love and while she's still pretty clueless about certain aspects of the job, she's learning slowly and surely. She gets regular training sessions with Quin, God of the Sun, on how to improve her game as a goddess. She enjoys these sessions with Quin but keeps hoping that they will lead to more than just doing "work" stuff. What's funny about Hannah's situation is, she helps other people navigate the tricky waters of love and yet she's hopelessly in love with someone she can't have. I think that's what makes Hannah a relatable character - even if she's part-time goddess now, she's still a normal college girl in so many ways. Clearly, she doesn't have things figured out and like any non-goddess person does, she just goes with her instincts and what she feels is right. I also think it's ironic that the main plot thread in this installment is Hannah trying to break up a couple instead of bringing them together. I liked that Queen of the Clueless focused on Sol's love story, it was nice to get to know Hannah's best friend since we really didn't get to do that in the first book. I also liked that we learn more about some of the other secondary characters, like Diego and Robbie. Although I wish there was more of Quin in the story, I felt like he didn't get enough face time in this book. I would have liked to learn more about Quin's character, a little more insight on how he is both as Quin the mortal guy and as God of the Sun.
I'm really, really curious about the third book in this series. If I had a copy of it right now, I'd dive into it right away. I have no idea how Hannah's story arc will get resolved and I'm hoping it won't feel rushed because these books are on the short side. I found Queen of the Clueless an enjoyable read but I definitely wouldn't have minded if it was a little longer. I think it was a good idea on Mina's part to try writing a different genre from her usual contemporary romance featuring women in their twenties. I'm all for Filipino fiction with a college setting, especially if it reminds me of my own college experience. I know I've mentioned this before but I really couldn't help but feel that Hannah's school is like a smaller version of my own alma mater. So many details about the school was reminiscent of my own school - the cafeteria, some of the classes, the rich kids and scholarship kids. I know that Mina attended the same college so maybe it served as an inspiration for her writing. Since I loved my school, I think that's a good thing. I recommend this to fans of Mina's writing and readers curious about Filipino fiction. I know I don't feature enough of them here in my blog so I would gladly recommend this.
Some lomo shots of my college, which can pass off as Ford River:
Queen of the Clueless by Mina V. Esguerra is the sequel to Interim Goddess of Love . Do the books need to be read in order? I think so because that will give the reader a better understanding of the story. In fact, I reread the first book before starting on this because I didn't want to be confused about the characters and everything that happened before. These books are Filipino young adult fiction that has a hint of local mythology (so "goddess" in the title of the first book isn't a metaphor). It's going to be a trilogy and there's no release date for the third book yet but I'm hoping it will be published soon.
Hannah is still the temporary Goddess of Love and while she's still pretty clueless about certain aspects of the job, she's learning slowly and surely. She gets regular training sessions with Quin, God of the Sun, on how to improve her game as a goddess. She enjoys these sessions with Quin but keeps hoping that they will lead to more than just doing "work" stuff. What's funny about Hannah's situation is, she helps other people navigate the tricky waters of love and yet she's hopelessly in love with someone she can't have. I think that's what makes Hannah a relatable character - even if she's part-time goddess now, she's still a normal college girl in so many ways. Clearly, she doesn't have things figured out and like any non-goddess person does, she just goes with her instincts and what she feels is right. I also think it's ironic that the main plot thread in this installment is Hannah trying to break up a couple instead of bringing them together. I liked that Queen of the Clueless focused on Sol's love story, it was nice to get to know Hannah's best friend since we really didn't get to do that in the first book. I also liked that we learn more about some of the other secondary characters, like Diego and Robbie. Although I wish there was more of Quin in the story, I felt like he didn't get enough face time in this book. I would have liked to learn more about Quin's character, a little more insight on how he is both as Quin the mortal guy and as God of the Sun.
I'm really, really curious about the third book in this series. If I had a copy of it right now, I'd dive into it right away. I have no idea how Hannah's story arc will get resolved and I'm hoping it won't feel rushed because these books are on the short side. I found Queen of the Clueless an enjoyable read but I definitely wouldn't have minded if it was a little longer. I think it was a good idea on Mina's part to try writing a different genre from her usual contemporary romance featuring women in their twenties. I'm all for Filipino fiction with a college setting, especially if it reminds me of my own college experience. I know I've mentioned this before but I really couldn't help but feel that Hannah's school is like a smaller version of my own alma mater. So many details about the school was reminiscent of my own school - the cafeteria, some of the classes, the rich kids and scholarship kids. I know that Mina attended the same college so maybe it served as an inspiration for her writing. Since I loved my school, I think that's a good thing. I recommend this to fans of Mina's writing and readers curious about Filipino fiction. I know I don't feature enough of them here in my blog so I would gladly recommend this.
Some lomo shots of my college, which can pass off as Ford River:
July 11, 2013
Originally posted here.
It’s been a while since I read the first book in the Interim Goddess YA novella series, Interim Goddess of Love . When the second book was released sometime last year, I didn’t read it right away (although I did get myself a print copy) because (1) I had other books lined up in the meantime, and (2) I remembered how it took me some time to warm up to Hannah, the Interim Goddess of Love herself. But then the third and final installment was released into the wild last month, and I was looking for something really fun and fluffy to read at the time, and so I thought that, perhaps, it’s time I reintroduce myself to Hannah – and Quin, and Diego, and Robbie. This time around, maybe we could finally bond.
And I think we did. Once I was finally settled with who (or what) she was – college student slash interim goddess – everything else came naturally. And by that, I meant that I no longer had to question why the local deities were college students, why the goddess of love would possibly go AWOL (and why that’s even possible), why another god had the power to choose a mortal to temporarily take her place, etc. etc. Once I had those initial questions settled, I was able to appreciate Hannah more – both Hannah, the Human and Hannah, the Interim Goddess.
As with all middle books, Queen of the Clueless left questions lingering in my head. I liked how Hannah was able to deal with her friend Sol’s creepy boyfriend, despite her own apparently confusing love life. There were the little moments with the three hunks – Quin, Diego and Robbie – that gave all manner of feels. At the end of the book, though, it was still Robbie who I found most endearing. Yes, the human – because I am always in favor of a guy who will love the girl more than the girl loves him.
I read Icon of the Indecisive right after the Queen of the Clueless – why put it off, right? For the final installment, everything falls squarely and properly into place – as they ought to. And this finale was what I imagined it would turn out to be and more. Hannah’s star shone brightly and beautifully, I imagined that if she were real, I would be in awe of her. And while the ending may not be what some fans are expecting, I thought it was just perfect.
Need I say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Interim Goddess series? They reminded me a lot of my favorite Sweet Dreams novels back when I was in high school, albeit with a twist of local mythology and with a college setting. So when you need something light, fun and fluffy, this is definitely the series to get. :)
February 9, 2013
The second installment to author Mina V. Esguerra's Interim Goddess of Love! Having discovered the first book and enjoyed it immensely I was very excited to read this book. The appealing charm of how Ms. Esguerra writes a heartfelt romantic tale set in modern day Manila is what draws me to the plot in this second book. Here Hannah Maquiling has gotten off a successful "project" as the Interim Goddess of Love, and while she's getting the hang of it.. she still tends to be rash and not to confident of her acquired powers. She fumbles in her interactions with the the three guys in her life -- Quin, the impossibly stoic God of the Sun, the proactive and troublemaker Diego (also conveniently God of the Sea) and mortal Robbie who might actually perfect had she not continuously compare him to Quin. For a goddess and still technically a mortal, Hannah shines as the heroine that you find yourself rooting for.
When Hannah makes it her mission to help her bestfriend Sol, the stakes are set higher as she might be putting herself in danger. New characters are introduced in this fantasy love story -- Neil, Sol's convincingly persuasive yet suspicious rebound boyfriend and Denise Cabral, a young history professor in Hannah's college who Quin seems protective about.
I actually have a theory of who Denise Cabral really is, and because something about her characterization feels like she's just temporarily a mortal.
I'm still left so curious as to whether she will end up with Quin (if the fates and Bathala will allow it?) and what was the old argument between Quin and Diego?
You end up craving for the third and last installment, Icon of the Indecisive, just to get all the questions the ending of this book leaves you.
When Hannah makes it her mission to help her bestfriend Sol, the stakes are set higher as she might be putting herself in danger. New characters are introduced in this fantasy love story -- Neil, Sol's convincingly persuasive yet suspicious rebound boyfriend and Denise Cabral, a young history professor in Hannah's college who Quin seems protective about.
I actually have a theory of who Denise Cabral really is, and because something about her characterization feels like she's just temporarily a mortal.
I'm still left so curious as to whether she will end up with Quin (if the fates and Bathala will allow it?) and what was the old argument between Quin and Diego?
You end up craving for the third and last installment, Icon of the Indecisive, just to get all the questions the ending of this book leaves you.
March 26, 2013
So, is Hannah the mortal that the Sun God is fated to fall in love with?
Sigh. Still super bitin. But at least I got to enjoy a cupcake with Mina ; )
Sigh. Still super bitin. But at least I got to enjoy a cupcake with Mina ; )
August 23, 2013
Check out my review of Interim Goddess of Love HERE.
“Sometimes, Diego didn’t seem like a crazy hothead that my mother would warn me about. Sometimes, he seemed like someone who would actually understand what it was like to feel something.”
I knew the moment I met Diego Simon in Interim Goddess of Love that he is THE man. He may have that bad boy image, and he may not be as patient as Quin, or as sweet as Robbie, but he is definitely a man of action! Diego goes to show he is not one to tread water, pun intended [he is after all the God of the Sea]. He takes matters into his own hands and I just love him all the more in Queen of the Clueless!
Let me make it clear though, Diego is not exactly our main protagonist, I’m just swooning over the dude too much that he’s the first thing I had to talk about (and I’m not going to apologize about that *flips hair*). It is in fact, Hannah Maquiling, a not-so-ordinary college sophomore, who also happens to be the Interim Goddess of Love. Since there is still no sign of the original love goddess, Hannah is still up for the job.
I admired Hannah when I was reading IGoL, she was witty, smart and lively then. For some reason, I feel like I don’t know her in Queen of the Clueless anymore. She feels like a totally different person. She’s still funny though, but her expressions seem like half-hearted jokes. What happened? Is she that unhappy over the fact that Quin isn’t showing the kind of interest she hopes he would over her? Or is the job of being the goddess of love taking a toll on her? I miss the kind of spark she used to have within.
Now, since I mentioned Quin... I am really starting to dislike this guy. What is his problem? I think it’s pretty obvious what Hannah feels about him, [he is the God of the Sun after all, if it’s obvious to me, heck it’d be more palpable to him, right?] but he keeps sending her mix signals; and Hannah pathetically keeps on yearning for him. Don’t even get me started on how she’s treating Robbie. I may not be rooting for the guy, but he is hell a lot more worthy of Hannah that Quin is. But even with that, I don’t think Hannah deserves him. In my opinion, Robbie deserves a girl who would like him without the whole I-like-you-but-I’m-pining-for-another-guy drama. He’s such a good guy.
Queen of the Clueless wasn’t what I expected it to be. It was more of another trial basis of Hannah’s powers, and it didn’t go over the kind of progression I was hoping for. When trilogies are concerned, second instalments usually stand for bridging books one and three. I’m not too keen about that idea. I like it when each book from the series/trilogy has its perks and sense of individuality even though they connect one book to the next.
Since I’ll be reading Icon of the Indecisive in a few short days, it scares me to think of how this trilogy would end. Given the kind of pacing IGoL and QotC have, it makes me wonder if we would actually reach a conclusion to the story. Will all three books be showing Hannah just practicing as a goddess? Will I finally know what Hannah’s dreams are all about? Will the original goddess finally show herself? I’m a little afraid to think that it would not give me the kind of closure I’d expect from a trilogy. Just please, please, PLEASE say I’ll finally get answers!
*This post is part of the Interim Goddess of Love Blog Tour hosted by Dia @ Book Junkie Joint & Book Junkie Blog Tours
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
“Sometimes, Diego didn’t seem like a crazy hothead that my mother would warn me about. Sometimes, he seemed like someone who would actually understand what it was like to feel something.”
I knew the moment I met Diego Simon in Interim Goddess of Love that he is THE man. He may have that bad boy image, and he may not be as patient as Quin, or as sweet as Robbie, but he is definitely a man of action! Diego goes to show he is not one to tread water, pun intended [he is after all the God of the Sea]. He takes matters into his own hands and I just love him all the more in Queen of the Clueless!
Let me make it clear though, Diego is not exactly our main protagonist, I’m just swooning over the dude too much that he’s the first thing I had to talk about (and I’m not going to apologize about that *flips hair*). It is in fact, Hannah Maquiling, a not-so-ordinary college sophomore, who also happens to be the Interim Goddess of Love. Since there is still no sign of the original love goddess, Hannah is still up for the job.
I admired Hannah when I was reading IGoL, she was witty, smart and lively then. For some reason, I feel like I don’t know her in Queen of the Clueless anymore. She feels like a totally different person. She’s still funny though, but her expressions seem like half-hearted jokes. What happened? Is she that unhappy over the fact that Quin isn’t showing the kind of interest she hopes he would over her? Or is the job of being the goddess of love taking a toll on her? I miss the kind of spark she used to have within.
Now, since I mentioned Quin... I am really starting to dislike this guy. What is his problem? I think it’s pretty obvious what Hannah feels about him, [he is the God of the Sun after all, if it’s obvious to me, heck it’d be more palpable to him, right?] but he keeps sending her mix signals; and Hannah pathetically keeps on yearning for him. Don’t even get me started on how she’s treating Robbie. I may not be rooting for the guy, but he is hell a lot more worthy of Hannah that Quin is. But even with that, I don’t think Hannah deserves him. In my opinion, Robbie deserves a girl who would like him without the whole I-like-you-but-I’m-pining-for-another-guy drama. He’s such a good guy.
Queen of the Clueless wasn’t what I expected it to be. It was more of another trial basis of Hannah’s powers, and it didn’t go over the kind of progression I was hoping for. When trilogies are concerned, second instalments usually stand for bridging books one and three. I’m not too keen about that idea. I like it when each book from the series/trilogy has its perks and sense of individuality even though they connect one book to the next.
Since I’ll be reading Icon of the Indecisive in a few short days, it scares me to think of how this trilogy would end. Given the kind of pacing IGoL and QotC have, it makes me wonder if we would actually reach a conclusion to the story. Will all three books be showing Hannah just practicing as a goddess? Will I finally know what Hannah’s dreams are all about? Will the original goddess finally show herself? I’m a little afraid to think that it would not give me the kind of closure I’d expect from a trilogy. Just please, please, PLEASE say I’ll finally get answers!
*This post is part of the Interim Goddess of Love Blog Tour hosted by Dia @ Book Junkie Joint & Book Junkie Blog Tours
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
August 27, 2013
For more of my reviews, visit Books For YA!
In the second installment to Interim Goddess of Love, Hannah will have to face a bigger problem; a problem that doesn't only concerned her because she is the Goddess of Love but also because it involves her best friend.
Hannah is getting pretty good at her job as an Interim Goddess of Love but it's more time consuming than she expected. And now, Sol needed her, not as the Goddess but as her bestfriend. Apparently, Sol's boyfriend, Neil, is a klepto and he's not just stealing from Sol but also to other students at Ford River College. But Sol is having second thoughts about breaking up with him even if she knows the truth.
Hannah, doesn't have a choice but to intervene especially when she found out that there's some mysterious magic involved here. Since her mentor, Quin doesn't support her plans and told her to stay out of it, she's going to team up with the unpredictable Sea God, Diego and the cute mortal, Robbie to solve this problem.
Okay, first of all, I love how Mina combined chess moves in the story. I've been a chess player since I was in Grade 4 so I have a lot of knowledge about the game. It's a strategy game between two individuals and it involves a lot of observation, step-by-step strategy and well execution. And Mina did all the things I just mentioned. She slay me with her sacrifice move and it was well-executed. She thoroughly explained on her Author's Note at the end of the book how the chess games relate to the story so you don't have to worry about deciphering it.
I understand Sol, I do. She was traumatize with her first relationship that's why she's afraid that she will never find someone who will love her again if she broke up with Neil. But what I don't like about her is that, she kept on making excuses for his wrong deeds. I feel like she's consenting him by not doing anything. Stealing is wrong and no matter what the story behind the action is, it shouldn't be tolerated.
I couldn't agree more to Hannah's decision to interfere. Sol was blind-sided to everything and she clearly needed the help of her best friend(even if she doesn't ask for it). Hannah, showed a different side of her in this book. She's not only a great confidant, secret-keeper and match-maker, she's also a true friend who will do the utmost of her ability to keep her friend safe.
Diego stepped up also in here. He showed us that he's not just a bad boy who always picks a fight whenever he have an opportunity, he's also surprisingly helpful to those who forgets their purpose. We also get a glimpse of his past and his sad love story. I never thought I'd say this but, I changed my mind about Diego. He's not as bad as I thought but I'm still on Team Robbie so don't even think that I'd switched sides. I would never betray Robbie. LOL!
This book have more interesting happenings than the first. I also loved it because of the chess games aspect and it has more Robbie exposures. But watch out for the cliffhanger at the end, though, because it will surely make you want to read book 3 immediately.
Overall, Queen of the Clueless is, by far, my most favorite in the series. Read this series now or forever hold your peace. LOL!
In the second installment to Interim Goddess of Love, Hannah will have to face a bigger problem; a problem that doesn't only concerned her because she is the Goddess of Love but also because it involves her best friend.
Hannah is getting pretty good at her job as an Interim Goddess of Love but it's more time consuming than she expected. And now, Sol needed her, not as the Goddess but as her bestfriend. Apparently, Sol's boyfriend, Neil, is a klepto and he's not just stealing from Sol but also to other students at Ford River College. But Sol is having second thoughts about breaking up with him even if she knows the truth.
Hannah, doesn't have a choice but to intervene especially when she found out that there's some mysterious magic involved here. Since her mentor, Quin doesn't support her plans and told her to stay out of it, she's going to team up with the unpredictable Sea God, Diego and the cute mortal, Robbie to solve this problem.
Okay, first of all, I love how Mina combined chess moves in the story. I've been a chess player since I was in Grade 4 so I have a lot of knowledge about the game. It's a strategy game between two individuals and it involves a lot of observation, step-by-step strategy and well execution. And Mina did all the things I just mentioned. She slay me with her sacrifice move and it was well-executed. She thoroughly explained on her Author's Note at the end of the book how the chess games relate to the story so you don't have to worry about deciphering it.
I understand Sol, I do. She was traumatize with her first relationship that's why she's afraid that she will never find someone who will love her again if she broke up with Neil. But what I don't like about her is that, she kept on making excuses for his wrong deeds. I feel like she's consenting him by not doing anything. Stealing is wrong and no matter what the story behind the action is, it shouldn't be tolerated.
I couldn't agree more to Hannah's decision to interfere. Sol was blind-sided to everything and she clearly needed the help of her best friend(even if she doesn't ask for it). Hannah, showed a different side of her in this book. She's not only a great confidant, secret-keeper and match-maker, she's also a true friend who will do the utmost of her ability to keep her friend safe.
Diego stepped up also in here. He showed us that he's not just a bad boy who always picks a fight whenever he have an opportunity, he's also surprisingly helpful to those who forgets their purpose. We also get a glimpse of his past and his sad love story. I never thought I'd say this but, I changed my mind about Diego. He's not as bad as I thought but I'm still on Team Robbie so don't even think that I'd switched sides. I would never betray Robbie. LOL!
This book have more interesting happenings than the first. I also loved it because of the chess games aspect and it has more Robbie exposures. But watch out for the cliffhanger at the end, though, because it will surely make you want to read book 3 immediately.
Overall, Queen of the Clueless is, by far, my most favorite in the series. Read this series now or forever hold your peace. LOL!
August 21, 2013
I think I mentioned before that I am so not into bad boys, so I don't know what I was doing sighing over Diego, and wishing that he and Hannah would just end up together. But he has his own humongous baggage, and I think any girl crushing over a guy who hasn't gotten over someone for over a millennium should run away as fast as she could. But oops. I am getting ahead of myself.
4.5 stars. Originally posted on My Book Musings.
Hannah is confused with the status of her maddening love life (or the lack, thereof) of it with Quin; her turning to Diego, who makes her feel safe for some reason; and Robbie's utter adoration of her. It's pretty sad to see Robbie so into her, while she's so into Quin who seems to be involved with someone else. At the same time, her best friend Sol seeks her help with her boyfriend, Neil, who seems to be a thief in school.
Hannah tries to talk to Neil, but she blacks out and wakes up utterly confused. It turns out that Neil has some sort of power that makes people give him the things he asks for with them giving him what he wants but without remembering it. According to Quin, Bathala said they are not to touch Neil. Which means Diego, no matter how much he wants to, cannot scare the living daylights out of Neil, and Vida cannot control him either. However, Neil is not a god, and if he was, then he should not be able to control Hannah. Whatever Neil is has not been clarified even until the end of the book.
In Queen of the Clueless, Quin spends less time with Hannah, and Diego seems to take center stage. In fact, Hannah shares several scorching kisses with him, which doesn't seem to matter - to Diego or even to Quin. Honestly, I feel like rooting for Diego, which is so unlike me! I don't like the bad guys, the complicated ones. I like the good guys, the ones who don't give you crap and just adore you. I like them both in books and in real life. But Diego seems to bring some sort of "stability" to Hannah when he's around, and he keeps saving her when Quin just seems to let her "discover" the solution. Plus, this is the second time that Diego has been really there for Hannah when she needed something for her work as the goddess of love. Additionally, by now, I'm losing hope for a Quin-Hannah relationship, especially if he is so blasted difficult! But no, I don't think that a Diego-Hannah relationship will really happen.
Though words were not explicitly stated unlike in the first book, the actions of the characters in Queen of the Clueless helped me to get to know the characters more. I feel like I'm becoming more involved with them, and they're now like friends. (Don't you just love it when book characters feel like they're your friends and you can't help but say "No, don't do that!" while reading?)
Mina injects humor into this sequel, and the hour seemed to run by so fast while I was reading. It's perfect for light reading, for something to curl up with while torrential rain knocks against your windows. Queen of the Clueless ends with a mighty cliffhanger that's currently making me itch for my Nook to get started on the last book, Icon of the Indecisive.
4.5 stars. Originally posted on My Book Musings.
Hannah is confused with the status of her maddening love life (or the lack, thereof) of it with Quin; her turning to Diego, who makes her feel safe for some reason; and Robbie's utter adoration of her. It's pretty sad to see Robbie so into her, while she's so into Quin who seems to be involved with someone else. At the same time, her best friend Sol seeks her help with her boyfriend, Neil, who seems to be a thief in school.
Hannah tries to talk to Neil, but she blacks out and wakes up utterly confused. It turns out that Neil has some sort of power that makes people give him the things he asks for with them giving him what he wants but without remembering it. According to Quin, Bathala said they are not to touch Neil. Which means Diego, no matter how much he wants to, cannot scare the living daylights out of Neil, and Vida cannot control him either. However, Neil is not a god, and if he was, then he should not be able to control Hannah. Whatever Neil is has not been clarified even until the end of the book.
In Queen of the Clueless, Quin spends less time with Hannah, and Diego seems to take center stage. In fact, Hannah shares several scorching kisses with him, which doesn't seem to matter - to Diego or even to Quin. Honestly, I feel like rooting for Diego, which is so unlike me! I don't like the bad guys, the complicated ones. I like the good guys, the ones who don't give you crap and just adore you. I like them both in books and in real life. But Diego seems to bring some sort of "stability" to Hannah when he's around, and he keeps saving her when Quin just seems to let her "discover" the solution. Plus, this is the second time that Diego has been really there for Hannah when she needed something for her work as the goddess of love. Additionally, by now, I'm losing hope for a Quin-Hannah relationship, especially if he is so blasted difficult! But no, I don't think that a Diego-Hannah relationship will really happen.
Though words were not explicitly stated unlike in the first book, the actions of the characters in Queen of the Clueless helped me to get to know the characters more. I feel like I'm becoming more involved with them, and they're now like friends. (Don't you just love it when book characters feel like they're your friends and you can't help but say "No, don't do that!" while reading?)
Mina injects humor into this sequel, and the hour seemed to run by so fast while I was reading. It's perfect for light reading, for something to curl up with while torrential rain knocks against your windows. Queen of the Clueless ends with a mighty cliffhanger that's currently making me itch for my Nook to get started on the last book, Icon of the Indecisive.
April 9, 2013
Review posted at
Amaterasu Reads
My android phone and Kindle app has never hated me until this very moment. I kept on pressing the next button but there are no extra pages at the end of the e-book no matter how hard I press.
I want more! More! More!
Our favorite novice Goddess is back, and she's still getting a hang of using her powers, interacting with confusing, temperamental Gods and just basically trying to learn how to be the Goddess of Love. Now Hannah's caught in a love dilemma involving her best friend, Sol. Oh, and did I mention that she's also trying to catch a thief, who happens to be Sol's boyfriend? You guessed it right, chaos ensues.
Quin, our favorite Sun God, still straight an arrow as ever when it comes to the rules and training Hannah is being such a worrywart, though it's for a reason. I still like how sensible can be, to the point that he becomes a little annoying, because he's right. That also means Hannah doesn't get to have fun. I like how she's standing up for herself, also for a number of reasons. That stubborn streak and spark of feistiness shows there's more to her character than being the usual gentle confidant that she is. Diego took the center stage in this novel, showing more of what the God of the Sea can do. Underneath all the macho facade hides someone who is still capable of caring, someone who has experienced heartbreak just like everyone else. It's a little bit unexpected to see him help Hannah realize a lot of things about her feelings for Quin. Gradually, my impression of this mischievous God is changing. Robbie is still being his cute self and Vida is still being cryptic.
Queen of the Clueless showed more in terms character development and pushes the story further forward. The questions one have in Interim Goddess of Love kept on piling up but some were answered in this sequel, and the reasons we're all looking for as to why Quin, so uptight and responsible God that he is, behaves that way, is revealed. These parts of the story made me love the characters more and made me a step more curious as to what these Gods are really up to and how Hannah really fits in the entire story. This sequel had a more engaging storyline than the first, and made me more emotionally invested in the characters. There were moments when I want to strangle Hannah and knock some sense in Quin. I was frustrated, sad, angry and shocked. But overall, I like how despite her being a Goddess, Hannah was never perfect. She makes mistakes and wrong decisions just like a normal human does and lets her emotion take over once in a while. She over thinks and gets confused and gets hurt too. Also, the introduction of a new character gives the story more intrigue. What role does this person play? How will it affect the already confusing relationships among the Gods and Hannah?
You can feel that the story's almost coming to a close and the cliffhanger ending just builds up the reader's anticipation to the maximum. It made me freak out! What happens now?
My android phone and Kindle app has never hated me until this very moment. I kept on pressing the next button but there are no extra pages at the end of the e-book no matter how hard I press.
I want more! More! More!
Our favorite novice Goddess is back, and she's still getting a hang of using her powers, interacting with confusing, temperamental Gods and just basically trying to learn how to be the Goddess of Love. Now Hannah's caught in a love dilemma involving her best friend, Sol. Oh, and did I mention that she's also trying to catch a thief, who happens to be Sol's boyfriend? You guessed it right, chaos ensues.
Quin, our favorite Sun God, still straight an arrow as ever when it comes to the rules and training Hannah is being such a worrywart, though it's for a reason. I still like how sensible can be, to the point that he becomes a little annoying, because he's right. That also means Hannah doesn't get to have fun. I like how she's standing up for herself, also for a number of reasons. That stubborn streak and spark of feistiness shows there's more to her character than being the usual gentle confidant that she is. Diego took the center stage in this novel, showing more of what the God of the Sea can do. Underneath all the macho facade hides someone who is still capable of caring, someone who has experienced heartbreak just like everyone else. It's a little bit unexpected to see him help Hannah realize a lot of things about her feelings for Quin. Gradually, my impression of this mischievous God is changing. Robbie is still being his cute self and Vida is still being cryptic.
Queen of the Clueless showed more in terms character development and pushes the story further forward. The questions one have in Interim Goddess of Love kept on piling up but some were answered in this sequel, and the reasons we're all looking for as to why Quin, so uptight and responsible God that he is, behaves that way, is revealed. These parts of the story made me love the characters more and made me a step more curious as to what these Gods are really up to and how Hannah really fits in the entire story. This sequel had a more engaging storyline than the first, and made me more emotionally invested in the characters. There were moments when I want to strangle Hannah and knock some sense in Quin. I was frustrated, sad, angry and shocked. But overall, I like how despite her being a Goddess, Hannah was never perfect. She makes mistakes and wrong decisions just like a normal human does and lets her emotion take over once in a while. She over thinks and gets confused and gets hurt too. Also, the introduction of a new character gives the story more intrigue. What role does this person play? How will it affect the already confusing relationships among the Gods and Hannah?
You can feel that the story's almost coming to a close and the cliffhanger ending just builds up the reader's anticipation to the maximum. It made me freak out! What happens now?
September 3, 2013
This book will make you want to read MOARRR!
We continue from where we left off from the end of the first book (Interim Goddess of Love). Hannah continues her training, under the tutelage of Quin, as the interim Goddess of Love. She's slowly getting the hang of her goddess powers, but of course, extrinsic factors also come into the mix.
I still appreciate the inclusion of Philippine mythology into this one. I especially liked that heartbreaking tale about the first woman and the God of the Sea. On the scene where Hannah learned about Diego's tale, my mood dampened a little. Surely, the aggressive and unpredictable God of the Sea deserves his own happy ending, too. (Miss Mina, ahemm... *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge*)
So then, the questions begs to be asked, "Should I switch to Team Diego?!" Hmmmm... But Robbie~!
Moving on, as I read through this book, I got a wee bit frustrated. This is probably the reason why I rated this book only three stars out of five.
I got irritated with Hannah because she seems to be way in over her head when she decided to take on Neil. I mean sure, I get it that you proved that you can actually handle being the Goddess of Love with Kathy Martin, but that was just one successful project! And Quin has had a millenia of practice in doing his job so he surely knows best. At the same time, I was worried for Hannah because Neil has power over her. If I were Quin, I'd keep an eye on Hannah 24/7 because I have a hero complex! But that's just me. Heh.
I also got frustrated over Quin because I was rooting for him and Hannah to get together since the first book, but what the hell?! He remains stoic, aloof and indifferent to Hannah's feelings! Actually, I get that Quin was getting a little bit affected by Hannah and her antics in this book because of the little things that he does, like flashes of lightning, anyone? It was subtle but I noticed it.
The second to the last frustrating thing in this book is Hannah's first kiss: Diego Simon. NOOOOOOOOO!!! I was hoping it would be Quin! They were so cute during the first book! If it was Robbie, I'd have been a little miffed but would have conceded since Robbie was such a nice guy, but it was Diego! Granted, I know he did it to awaken some of Hannah's goddess powers, but still! It was her freaking first kiss! (On the up-side, she still has her remaining goddess life to kiss Quin.)
And the most frustrating thing in this book, which made me want to claw my eyes and pull all of my hairs out: the ending. IT WAS A CLIFFHANGER!!!
You know that frustrating feeling you get when you're too engrossed in a book and you want to know what happens next but you've already reached the ending page? I almost threw my tablet out of frustration. True story!
On the up-side, the frustrated feeling that this book brought me simply means that the author was successful in making me hooked on her book (kudos to Miss Mina!), and that she was able to weave such an engrossing story.
We continue from where we left off from the end of the first book (Interim Goddess of Love). Hannah continues her training, under the tutelage of Quin, as the interim Goddess of Love. She's slowly getting the hang of her goddess powers, but of course, extrinsic factors also come into the mix.
I still appreciate the inclusion of Philippine mythology into this one. I especially liked that heartbreaking tale about the first woman and the God of the Sea. On the scene where Hannah learned about Diego's tale, my mood dampened a little. Surely, the aggressive and unpredictable God of the Sea deserves his own happy ending, too. (Miss Mina, ahemm... *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge*)
So then, the questions begs to be asked, "Should I switch to Team Diego?!" Hmmmm... But Robbie~!
Moving on, as I read through this book, I got a wee bit frustrated. This is probably the reason why I rated this book only three stars out of five.
I got irritated with Hannah because she seems to be way in over her head when she decided to take on Neil. I mean sure, I get it that you proved that you can actually handle being the Goddess of Love with Kathy Martin, but that was just one successful project! And Quin has had a millenia of practice in doing his job so he surely knows best. At the same time, I was worried for Hannah because Neil has power over her. If I were Quin, I'd keep an eye on Hannah 24/7 because I have a hero complex! But that's just me. Heh.
I also got frustrated over Quin because I was rooting for him and Hannah to get together since the first book, but what the hell?! He remains stoic, aloof and indifferent to Hannah's feelings! Actually, I get that Quin was getting a little bit affected by Hannah and her antics in this book because of the little things that he does, like flashes of lightning, anyone? It was subtle but I noticed it.
The second to the last frustrating thing in this book is Hannah's first kiss: Diego Simon. NOOOOOOOOO!!! I was hoping it would be Quin! They were so cute during the first book! If it was Robbie, I'd have been a little miffed but would have conceded since Robbie was such a nice guy, but it was Diego! Granted, I know he did it to awaken some of Hannah's goddess powers, but still! It was her freaking first kiss! (On the up-side, she still has her remaining goddess life to kiss Quin.)
And the most frustrating thing in this book, which made me want to claw my eyes and pull all of my hairs out: the ending. IT WAS A CLIFFHANGER!!!
You know that frustrating feeling you get when you're too engrossed in a book and you want to know what happens next but you've already reached the ending page? I almost threw my tablet out of frustration. True story!
On the up-side, the frustrated feeling that this book brought me simply means that the author was successful in making me hooked on her book (kudos to Miss Mina!), and that she was able to weave such an engrossing story.
February 14, 2013
Original post from One More Page
Hannah Maquiling is still the interim Goddess of Love, and this time around, she's taken her best friend Sol as her project. Not because she was summoned, but because Sol is her best friend and if her goddess powers can help, then she would willingly use it. But instead of getting Sol together with someone, Hannah is actually trying to split them up. She's all for her best friend's happiness, yes, but not it if involves a boyfriend who steals from people. That's what the Goddess of Love would do, right?
After a long wait, the second book of Mina V. Esguerra's Interim Goddess of Love series is finally out! I was really, really excited to read this that even if I said I would finish reading Les Miserables first before anything else, I dove right in. I was so excited to read about Hannah, and the cute guys (god and human) around her. Hee. Queen of the Clueless is still as entertaining as the first book, despite having a slightly different tone. I liked how there seemed to be a villain in this book, someone who seemed like a complete mystery to them, even the gods. Somehow this had less of the cutesy romance and more of the fantasy. While I still kind of wanted more swoon, I think seeing more of how the gods and goddesses' powers work was also fun.
There was more Diego here than Quin, although since we're in Hannah's head, Quin was always still there. My heart went out to Hannah at the final parts of the book -- girl, I think most of us have been where you are, too! Except maybe we didn't fall in love with the God of the Sun. I liked how we got to know Diego here, though, and it feels like it's always more fun when he's around. Robbie the Cute Human is also growing on me, and I may be thisclose to changing my side from Quin to Robbie. But who knows what will happen by the third book?
This had more of a cliffhanger ending than the first one, which I understood because like in Mira Grant's Deadline , the second book is really a bridge to the end. If you're looking for things to make sense in this one...well, you won't, not so much. No loose ends were tied in this, so it's really more of Hannah finding out more about her powers and the complications of her feelings. But more theories can be formed (and if you have some, let's talk about it. Because I kind of need to talk to someone about my theories, haha). And I think an indicator of a good second book in a trilogy is when you want to get the next book in your hands now now now when you're done with it. Because I kind of want to get the last book in my hands now now now. :)
Hannah Maquiling is still the interim Goddess of Love, and this time around, she's taken her best friend Sol as her project. Not because she was summoned, but because Sol is her best friend and if her goddess powers can help, then she would willingly use it. But instead of getting Sol together with someone, Hannah is actually trying to split them up. She's all for her best friend's happiness, yes, but not it if involves a boyfriend who steals from people. That's what the Goddess of Love would do, right?
After a long wait, the second book of Mina V. Esguerra's Interim Goddess of Love series is finally out! I was really, really excited to read this that even if I said I would finish reading Les Miserables first before anything else, I dove right in. I was so excited to read about Hannah, and the cute guys (god and human) around her. Hee. Queen of the Clueless is still as entertaining as the first book, despite having a slightly different tone. I liked how there seemed to be a villain in this book, someone who seemed like a complete mystery to them, even the gods. Somehow this had less of the cutesy romance and more of the fantasy. While I still kind of wanted more swoon, I think seeing more of how the gods and goddesses' powers work was also fun.
There was more Diego here than Quin, although since we're in Hannah's head, Quin was always still there. My heart went out to Hannah at the final parts of the book -- girl, I think most of us have been where you are, too! Except maybe we didn't fall in love with the God of the Sun. I liked how we got to know Diego here, though, and it feels like it's always more fun when he's around. Robbie the Cute Human is also growing on me, and I may be thisclose to changing my side from Quin to Robbie. But who knows what will happen by the third book?
This had more of a cliffhanger ending than the first one, which I understood because like in Mira Grant's Deadline , the second book is really a bridge to the end. If you're looking for things to make sense in this one...well, you won't, not so much. No loose ends were tied in this, so it's really more of Hannah finding out more about her powers and the complications of her feelings. But more theories can be formed (and if you have some, let's talk about it. Because I kind of need to talk to someone about my theories, haha). And I think an indicator of a good second book in a trilogy is when you want to get the next book in your hands now now now when you're done with it. Because I kind of want to get the last book in my hands now now now. :)
January 2, 2015
Can't wait to read the last installment! Will I be seeing more of Diego? :D
***UPDATE***
Also posted in It's A Wonderful Bookworld.
Queen of the Clueless is the sequel to the Interim Goddess of Love which I read a few months back. I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the world of Hannah and Quin as gods in the first book, but in this second installment, I feel that I am slowly adapting into the mythical world Mina V. Esguerra has created. I still like the touch of Filipino mythology and I find Hannah more likeable this time. She is finally working on her powers as the Interim Goddess of Love and she is learning more about her own self — and this includes sorting her feelings towards Quin.
As in the first book, I am still more fond of Diego as opposed to Quin. Despite Diego’s brusqueness, I still find him appealing although I must admit that Quin has this air of mystery surrounding his character. I love it that Diego has more exposure here than in the first book. Hee. ;) To tell the truth, I really don’t care that much about Quin. I don’t know, maybe I just feel that since he’s the god of the Sun and all, he must be unreachable to a mere mortal like Hannah. Hence, they are not — could not be — a match for each other. But then again, this is fiction, right? Ah, but I love it that Ms. Esguerra has kept me guessing as to who Hannah will finally end up with. :)
The story of Sol and her boyfriend adds excitement to the book as well, and the mystery of an unknown supernatural being roaming the halls of Ford River has kept me turning the pages until I reached the end. And then there’s Robbie, the human. He’s a likeable character and I sometimes find myself rooting for him as well. Maybe Hannah is better off with him than pining for a supernatural being?
Queen of the Clueless provides just the right amount of excitement for me to get on to the finale. I can’t wait to read the last installment, Icon of the Indecisive, which is already available in Amazon. I want to find out who Hannah finally ends up with, or if she will finally end up with someone. I also want to know if she gets to be Goddess of Love permanently. And of course, I’d love to see more of Diego. Hihi. :)
***UPDATE***
Also posted in It's A Wonderful Bookworld.
Queen of the Clueless is the sequel to the Interim Goddess of Love which I read a few months back. I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the world of Hannah and Quin as gods in the first book, but in this second installment, I feel that I am slowly adapting into the mythical world Mina V. Esguerra has created. I still like the touch of Filipino mythology and I find Hannah more likeable this time. She is finally working on her powers as the Interim Goddess of Love and she is learning more about her own self — and this includes sorting her feelings towards Quin.
As in the first book, I am still more fond of Diego as opposed to Quin. Despite Diego’s brusqueness, I still find him appealing although I must admit that Quin has this air of mystery surrounding his character. I love it that Diego has more exposure here than in the first book. Hee. ;) To tell the truth, I really don’t care that much about Quin. I don’t know, maybe I just feel that since he’s the god of the Sun and all, he must be unreachable to a mere mortal like Hannah. Hence, they are not — could not be — a match for each other. But then again, this is fiction, right? Ah, but I love it that Ms. Esguerra has kept me guessing as to who Hannah will finally end up with. :)
The story of Sol and her boyfriend adds excitement to the book as well, and the mystery of an unknown supernatural being roaming the halls of Ford River has kept me turning the pages until I reached the end. And then there’s Robbie, the human. He’s a likeable character and I sometimes find myself rooting for him as well. Maybe Hannah is better off with him than pining for a supernatural being?
Queen of the Clueless provides just the right amount of excitement for me to get on to the finale. I can’t wait to read the last installment, Icon of the Indecisive, which is already available in Amazon. I want to find out who Hannah finally ends up with, or if she will finally end up with someone. I also want to know if she gets to be Goddess of Love permanently. And of course, I’d love to see more of Diego. Hihi. :)
August 19, 2013
Come check out my stop on the Interim Goddess of Love blog tour and enter the giveaway to win copies of the trilogy!
In the second installment Hannah learns to do new cool things with the help of her trainer the Sun God, Quin, and is flung into a messy goddess of love project involving her bestfriend, Sol. Now I won't dive into details about the project itself. All I can say is it's a huge step up from her project in the previous book. Here, Hannah can do so much more with her abilities and now she has to deal with something so much more than fixing someone's love life.
I liked the overall flow of the story. There's just a lot more going on here! For example, we learn more about deities and how they work. We actually get more god/goddess action from everyone here and I liked how Hannah was slowly becoming one of them. I especially liked that the story was multifaceted. There was Sol's story but there was something else about that would only be dealt with in the last book. I was dying to know more but at the same time I liked where the story was heading so I didn't want to ruin that. There was so much teasing in this book and I freaking enjoyed every moment of it! Is that weird? Perhaps. *shrugs*
Another aspect I liked here, and this is probably my favorite was Hannah finally getting a chance to experience love. (Insert happy sigh here) It was exciting to see how she would handle it. Being interim Goddess of Love gave her powers like being able to hear people's thoughts or know what they would do (as long as it was grounded on love). How could a girl who can hear a guy's thoughts about her just fall in like with him? I mean, there's no element of surprise to keep things interesting. So there was that. Definitely something to look forward to. ;)
The verdict? 4 stars. Mina Esguerra did great in building up from the previous book and did more to entice readers to check out the conclusion to the trilogy.
(I received a copy for review. This did not influence me in any way.)
In the second installment Hannah learns to do new cool things with the help of her trainer the Sun God, Quin, and is flung into a messy goddess of love project involving her bestfriend, Sol. Now I won't dive into details about the project itself. All I can say is it's a huge step up from her project in the previous book. Here, Hannah can do so much more with her abilities and now she has to deal with something so much more than fixing someone's love life.
I liked the overall flow of the story. There's just a lot more going on here! For example, we learn more about deities and how they work. We actually get more god/goddess action from everyone here and I liked how Hannah was slowly becoming one of them. I especially liked that the story was multifaceted. There was Sol's story but there was something else about that would only be dealt with in the last book. I was dying to know more but at the same time I liked where the story was heading so I didn't want to ruin that. There was so much teasing in this book and I freaking enjoyed every moment of it! Is that weird? Perhaps. *shrugs*
Another aspect I liked here, and this is probably my favorite was Hannah finally getting a chance to experience love. (Insert happy sigh here) It was exciting to see how she would handle it. Being interim Goddess of Love gave her powers like being able to hear people's thoughts or know what they would do (as long as it was grounded on love). How could a girl who can hear a guy's thoughts about her just fall in like with him? I mean, there's no element of surprise to keep things interesting. So there was that. Definitely something to look forward to. ;)
The verdict? 4 stars. Mina Esguerra did great in building up from the previous book and did more to entice readers to check out the conclusion to the trilogy.
(I received a copy for review. This did not influence me in any way.)
October 2, 2016
I loved this even more than the first!!
Hannah's story as the goddess of love continues, and she takes on an even bigger challenge when she decides that her next project would be Sol, her best friend, who out of everyone else seems to be immune to Hannah's powers. This makes Hannah's job of keeping her away from her boyfriend, who looks like bad trouble, even harder.
I already mentioned how much I love Hannah, but I'm gonna say it again because I find it rare for an author to make me love their main character and maintain it throughout the books. But Hannah is just adorable and a little stubborn, and just not annoying in any way. And my thoughts on Quin remain the same; he's still a mystery and we've seen very little of him in this book, he's still stoic and shutting Hannah out seems to be his most important mission. I found it intriguing the more we got into those flashbacks or dreams, and it is obvious that he used to be in love with someone or there is some untold story there that probably makes him the way he is. I just still don't understand it.
Onto my favorite two characters in this book: Diego and Robbie. Diego just became more interesting and his background story is a little bit, if not immensely, tragic. Yet he's still helpful to Hannah without asking for much in return. I was just so interested in him and I wanted to know more about that story of his because it really drew me in. As for Robbie, well he was just PERFECT. Honestly, Hannah should just stop giving Quin the time of the day and focus on Robbie because he's so good to her and he's honestly so adorable and nice and understanding. SO PRECIOUS.
I'm excited to find out how this trilogy ends, that last chapter was so intense.
Hannah's story as the goddess of love continues, and she takes on an even bigger challenge when she decides that her next project would be Sol, her best friend, who out of everyone else seems to be immune to Hannah's powers. This makes Hannah's job of keeping her away from her boyfriend, who looks like bad trouble, even harder.
I already mentioned how much I love Hannah, but I'm gonna say it again because I find it rare for an author to make me love their main character and maintain it throughout the books. But Hannah is just adorable and a little stubborn, and just not annoying in any way. And my thoughts on Quin remain the same; he's still a mystery and we've seen very little of him in this book, he's still stoic and shutting Hannah out seems to be his most important mission. I found it intriguing the more we got into those flashbacks or dreams, and it is obvious that he used to be in love with someone or there is some untold story there that probably makes him the way he is. I just still don't understand it.
Onto my favorite two characters in this book: Diego and Robbie. Diego just became more interesting and his background story is a little bit, if not immensely, tragic. Yet he's still helpful to Hannah without asking for much in return. I was just so interested in him and I wanted to know more about that story of his because it really drew me in. As for Robbie, well he was just PERFECT. Honestly, Hannah should just stop giving Quin the time of the day and focus on Robbie because he's so good to her and he's honestly so adorable and nice and understanding. SO PRECIOUS.
I'm excited to find out how this trilogy ends, that last chapter was so intense.
February 12, 2013
I like Queen of the Clueless.
...should i switch to Team Diego? Haha!
I really was excited to read Queen of the Clueless. But the thing was, it left me with more questions than Interim Goddess of Love. And that made me a little frustrated. I believe this going to be a trilogy? So I wonder how Esguerra will cram all the answers in the final book, considering these are just short reads.. right?
LIKES. Diego getting more face time - I actually liked the guy! :D Hannah turning an opponent into her devotee - now, this turnaround was really good.
DISLIKES. Little (swoony) interaction between Hannah and Quin. Mysterious resistance to godlike powers of Sol. A new character with also a godlike power of his own.
The ending was very intriguing, though. Poor Hannah. Relying on her goddess dreams so much for her happiness. In turn, it made her clueless to what's really going on IRL.
More Quin, please! and maybe a little Diego wouldn't hurt, too. Ha!
Queen of the Clueless gave me the impression that if I only read books 1 and 3, I would still understand the story. Because I am not missing much on this book 2.
3.5/5 stars
...should i switch to Team Diego? Haha!
I really was excited to read Queen of the Clueless. But the thing was, it left me with more questions than Interim Goddess of Love. And that made me a little frustrated. I believe this going to be a trilogy? So I wonder how Esguerra will cram all the answers in the final book, considering these are just short reads.. right?
LIKES. Diego getting more face time - I actually liked the guy! :D Hannah turning an opponent into her devotee - now, this turnaround was really good.
DISLIKES. Little (swoony) interaction between Hannah and Quin. Mysterious resistance to godlike powers of Sol. A new character with also a godlike power of his own.
The ending was very intriguing, though. Poor Hannah. Relying on her goddess dreams so much for her happiness. In turn, it made her clueless to what's really going on IRL.
More Quin, please! and maybe a little Diego wouldn't hurt, too. Ha!
Queen of the Clueless gave me the impression that if I only read books 1 and 3, I would still understand the story. Because I am not missing much on this book 2.
3.5/5 stars
September 11, 2016
Cliffhanger! Couldn't wait to find out who will Hannah choose Quin (is she the one for him? Or is he really toying with that young teacher?), the Son of God (and wet blankets)? Robbie (he totally deserve Hannah. She need someone like him!), the super cute, romantic human? Or maybe Diego (what the hell was the kiss supposed to mean? That was a surprise!), the God of Sea (and fistfight) has a chance. I don't know with the rest but I'm 100% Team Robbie, woohoo! Plus what will happen about her being an Interim Goddess of Love (and where the hell is the original goddess?). I couldn't wait to grab a paperback of Icon of the Indecisive eeep.
The chess code in the end was very clever(although I didn't 'totally' get how it works.haha). Tho there were parts in the story that I thought weren't necessary to the main plot. Plus I only got excited on the last part. And still, I don't get the meaning of Hannah's dreams (or dreams were not suppose to be discern?)
Nevertheless, I think this is one of the best books of Ms. Mina. A break through for her as a fantasy-paranormal writer. *clap clap*
The chess code in the end was very clever(although I didn't 'totally' get how it works.haha). Tho there were parts in the story that I thought weren't necessary to the main plot. Plus I only got excited on the last part. And still, I don't get the meaning of Hannah's dreams (or dreams were not suppose to be discern?)
Nevertheless, I think this is one of the best books of Ms. Mina. A break through for her as a fantasy-paranormal writer. *clap clap*
March 31, 2013
2.5
There was improvement from the mess that was the first one or maybe it was me getting used it, I'm not sure.
I kept getting kinda bored with the whole story line cause I just didn't care much for Sol. Neil did however intrigue me so it kept me mostly interested. What really kept me going though was Hannah and Quin or I guess the lack there of. And after what Diego said and the way Hannah answered I'm actually afraid she really won't end up with Quin. Which would suck cause I really want them to! Robbie is cute and nice and all but eh. Then there was the ending!! Ugh! Why must it end with a cliff hanger!! I just want to know if she will end up with Quin or not D: Is that really too much to ask for??
When I started this one I had just planned to quickly skim it to find out what I wanted, but it managed to make me keep reading. So if you enjoyed the first one, you'll like this one even more :)
There was improvement from the mess that was the first one or maybe it was me getting used it, I'm not sure.
I kept getting kinda bored with the whole story line cause I just didn't care much for Sol. Neil did however intrigue me so it kept me mostly interested. What really kept me going though was Hannah and Quin or I guess the lack there of. And after what Diego said and the way Hannah answered I'm actually afraid she really won't end up with Quin. Which would suck cause I really want them to! Robbie is cute and nice and all but eh. Then there was the ending!! Ugh! Why must it end with a cliff hanger!! I just want to know if she will end up with Quin or not D: Is that really too much to ask for??
When I started this one I had just planned to quickly skim it to find out what I wanted, but it managed to make me keep reading. So if you enjoyed the first one, you'll like this one even more :)
September 5, 2016
Yesssss. I liked Interim Goddess of Love, but the Filipino-gods-on-a-college-campus concept really came together in this one and the result is excellent. The mystery was compelling (though maybe a little lacking in the wrapping-up department?), I'm officially declaring my allegiance to the Hannah/Diego ship (even though I'm 99% sure they won't be endgame WHATEVER CANON WHATEVER), and I would like a little more Vida, please (but with that ending, I'm sure that won't be an issue). Like its predecessor, Queen of the Clueless really knows how to fully work the barely-over-100-pages length to its advantage and THE GODS HAVING EARLY MORNING MEETINGS ON THE ROOFTOP I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS GOT TO ME SO MUCH BUT I LOVED EVERY TENSION-PACKED MINUTE OF IT.
July 23, 2013
No, the three stars is not because it's a mediocre book, it's just that, if you read this one, you have to immediately read "Icon of the Indecisive" so as not to get any "bitin" feelings. Haha :)
Anyway, this sequel is pretty good--although there were a lot of sub-plots, you'd definitely feel for the characters here. Poor Sol, with a boyfriend like that. And Neil...I thought he was also a god! And Vida, you know, for some reason, I love Vida. She's a tough cookie, I wish there were more about her.
I'll post a more detailed review on my blog soon for the interim Goddess of Love Book tour.
Anyway, this sequel is pretty good--although there were a lot of sub-plots, you'd definitely feel for the characters here. Poor Sol, with a boyfriend like that. And Neil...I thought he was also a god! And Vida, you know, for some reason, I love Vida. She's a tough cookie, I wish there were more about her.
I'll post a more detailed review on my blog soon for the interim Goddess of Love Book tour.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2013
In fairness, I really liked this sequel. Hannah was more directly involved and had real feels at stake; she wasn't just helping people because of goddess duties. Heck, I even liked crazy Neil though I really wish we learned how he was doing his manipulating people thing. Anyway, lots of kinda heavy things happening in this installment, but that's definitely a good thing. More opportunities to get hit in the feels. Can't wait for the last book because Quin's getting a little too mysterious for me and I really want to know what's up with him. Also, ugh all my feels for Diego plz. (Sorry, Robbie, you're so adorable, but that's really all you'll ever be.)
June 9, 2016
Ughhh, CLIFFHANGER SO MUCH!
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Loving this series very much! I've said this in my review of Interim Goddess of Love but it really is unique with the Philippine mythology theme but with the cliché girl-stuck-in-love-triangle love story. (Actually it's not a love triangle, probably square lol.) I can't say anything anymore but I'm really looking forward to the last book! Cannot wait!
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Loving this series very much! I've said this in my review of Interim Goddess of Love but it really is unique with the Philippine mythology theme but with the cliché girl-stuck-in-love-triangle love story. (Actually it's not a love triangle, probably square lol.) I can't say anything anymore but I'm really looking forward to the last book! Cannot wait!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2015
Really, really liked
Queen of the Clueless
!! Friendship, romance, humor and feels all in one! :) Go, Robbie!!
(Read my full review here.)
(Read my full review here.)
September 7, 2016
ooh esguerra took a level up here. i found both queen of the clueless and interim goddess absorbing but queen did pacing much better and hannah's relationships are so good here. diego's really growing on me too. on to the next one! 4 stars
March 14, 2013
Comments later. :)
April 16, 2013
I think i liked this better than the last obe. More things happened here...and the writingg was better plus the plot was more concrete. And lastly, the ending was a good cliffhanger! :)
June 10, 2013
3.5 out of 5 stars :)
November 1, 2013
Quin is a jerk, Diego is infuriating, and Robbie is too nice.
I'm team Diego by the way.
I'm team Diego by the way.
October 6, 2013
cant wait for the next book
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